Chapter Two
"It Takes Two..."
�So you and Orli certainly had a good time last night, eh Kel?� Kelly was only aware of a disembodied voice floating somewhere above her. She groaned and turned over in her sleep, trying to escape it. But the voice persisted. And now it was accompanied by prodding and poking. Kelly reluctantly opened her eyes to see Kate�s perky face looming over her in the still-dark room. 6:30 AM.
�Morning, Kate,� she muttered in a groggy stupor. This was cruel torture.
�Yes. And what a good morning it is,� chirped Kate. �So you and Orli had a good time last night?� she asked again. Maybe it was drowsiness, but Kelly thought she heard a twinge of something strange in Kate�s question�Sarcasm? Bitterness? Resentment? She could tell this would be an uncomfortable conversation. The ungodly hour only added to that discomfort.
�Well, yeah,� Kelly began. �I mean, we were really just killing time until you got back.� Nothing wrong with that, right?
�Oh. Well that�s fine, but I wasn�t supposed to be back until Thursday. Were you planning to �kill time� for two days?�
Kelly definitely heard it that time. She shifted and sat up. �No, we didn�t plan anything. I�m sorry, but it was his idea and he flew out��
�You could have called me, right?� Kate interrupted. �I mean, you both know my cell phone number, and yet miraculously, I received no calls!� Kate threw up her hands in mock surprise.
�Well yeah, but�� Shit. She had a point. �Look, I�m really sorry. I really am! He wanted the visit to be a surprise, so that�s why we didn�t call, ok? He had this whole big extravaganza planned, but he didn�t know you were going to be gone�� Kelly trailed off. Kate�s face brightened a little, but there was still some resistance apparent in her eyes. It was entirely too early to be having this conversation. �Look, Kate, you have absolutely nothing to be jealous of!� Kelly said as she reached for Kate�s hand.
�Jealous? Oh Kel, I�m not jealous.� Yeah right. �I just want to make sure you can �kill time� with Orli today while I�m gone.�
Kelly was beginning to think this might have been the most difficult conversation she�d ever encountered in her life. Normally she was pretty good at reading people, but Kate was exhibiting Mood Swings Galore. Kelly decided to just go with the flow and demurely say �yes� while changing the topic. �Where are you headed?�
�I have two finals, then a meeting with some producers at five,� she said nonchalantly, as if the previous five minutes had never happened.
�In New York?� Kelly asked, hopeful that the conversation could finally emerge from the darkness.
�No, they�re coming here so I could be with Orli. Of course, if he prefers to spend time with you, then I might as well be in New York, right?�
Crap crap crap. �Kate, you know that�s ludicrous. Did you see the way his face lit up when you came in yesterday?� Kelly sure remembered.
Kate seemed to, as well. Her expression softened. �That�s true. But I still won�t be home until about 7:30, so he�s yours until then.�
�I�m sure I can manage.� Then changing tacks again, �What are you two doing tonight?�
Kate suddenly became very interested in her fingernails, the former peace shattered as she knit her brow. �Funny you should ask that. It seems that Orli thinks the three of us should do something.�
�Really?� Kelly asked eagerly. Kate looked up, and this time the meaning of her stare was crystal clear. Kelly cleared her throat and quickly spouted, �Oh well, you know, you guys should really be alone. I can find something else to do. I�m no stranger to making myself scarce.� Kelly dropped her gaze.
�Are you sure?� asked Kate in a sickly-sweet tone.
Do I have a choice? �Yeah, definitely. You two go have fun.�
Kate�s mood was suddenly infinitely brighter. She reached down to hug Kelly saying, �Thanks so much, babe! Have fun today, but don�t expect that Lazy Bum to wake up anytime soon. Last night was pretty tiring for him!� Kelly forced a laugh, despite feeling slightly queasy. �Kidding, of course,� said Kate with a wink. �I�ll see you later!� With a wave, she was out the door.
Kelly remained motionless on the bed. She felt as if she�d just endured the most surreal experience of her life. It was so completely unlike Kate to be so bitchy, or flighty, or jealous, or whatever wide range of emotions had come out during that conversation. Kelly and Kate had grown extremely close in their four months at Princeton, and sure, they�d had their little spats, but on the whole things were always very positive. And Kate had definitely never minded that Orlando wanted to spend time with Kelly�she had even encouraged it! Best friends and boyfriends should be friends, she had said time and time again. Granted, Orlando had only come to visit three times, and Kelly had known him for a collective time of about two weeks. They had hardly ever been alone together like they had been last night, and never for such a long time, so this was a new experience for everyone. But it was only natural for their relationship to grow! Both Kelly and Orlando were open, amiable, affectionate people. The friendship had been great so far, and Kelly had really been looking forward to getting to know him better. But now� Now everything was weird. Strange. Uncomfortable. Kate was acting funny and it was entirely disconcerting.
Kelly sighed, and glanced at the clock. 6:45 AM. Fifteen odd minutes. Kelly lay back down and pulled the covers over her head. Who knew what the rest of the day would bring.
* * *
�No. No, really� But I don�t. No, I just think he�s interesting, that�s all. Well of course I find him attractive. He�s Orlando Fucking Bloom, Patrick!� Four hours later, Kelly had awoken again to the phone ringing. It was her brother, Patrick.
Two years her senior, Patrick was a senior at NYU. The siblings were very close, and Kelly trusted Patrick as her number one confidant. His call that morning had just been to chat, but Kelly found herself drawn to the topic of Kate and Orlando. The conversation was slightly unnerving, though, as Patrick had the uncanny knack of guessing Kelly�s true feelings, despite her strongest desires to cover them. This was one such moment. Try as Kelly might to insist her non-interest in Mr. Bloom, Patrick was stabbing dangerously close to the truth.
But what was the truth? Kelly didn�t honestly know. Of course Orlando was funny and smart and talented, not to mention gorgeous, but he also was seriously involved with her best friend. But when the two of them were thrust together, Kelly never ceased to be amazed. Just the few alone, intimate moments they had shared had set her mind reeling. Nothing romantic, nothing physical, just a connection. Did he feel it too? Of course not. Kelly slipped back into reality.
�Once again, Pat, I don�t. Besides, even if I do�and that�s a big if�he doesn�t. Case closed... No, I haven�t talked to Kate since this morning� Yeah, it was bizarre. But I�m sure whatever the little spat was will pass. OK. No, I think he�s waking up now. Shut up! I�m sure he�s fully clothed, you sick bastard!� Kelly giggled. �Alright, I seriously have to go. Love you too. Tell Mom and Dad I said �hi� and �send more cookies.� Bye.�
Kelly hung up and stared idly at the phone. It took a mountain of effort to imagine Orlando not fully clothed. It was as if he was there in front of her, and she was fighting the urge to� He was right in front of her. Damn it. Pajamas, she thought with a smile.
�I heard cookies,� came a raspy voice.
�Sorry, no cookies for those who don�t rise before 11 am. Better luck tomorrow.� Kelly smirked.
�Damn. But at the rate Kate�s got me going, I won�t even be here tomorrow before 11.�
�Oh? Where are you two off to?� Kelly�s eyebrows rose with the question.
�New York. For the weekend. But let�s not talk about that. The thought of missing your cookies makes me too sad.� He pouted, his big brown eyes getting even larger.
�Well, take a rain check on my cookies. They�ll be here when you get back.� Kelly hoped Orlando didn�t notice her nervous jitters. She felt like the whole bed was quivering. Being with him alone was making her excessively paranoid after Kate�s little conversation. Breathe. Just breathe. �So, I guess it�s just the two of us today, eh? Can you tolerate the day without cookies?�
�Oh, I suppose, mate. What do you fancy doing?� He sat on the edge of her bed.
�Whatever�s clever with me. You�re the guest�you have to choose.�
�Good. I was hoping you�d say that. Because I have an idea.�
Kelly was amused at his honesty. �Do you really, now?�
�Yes, but you have to promise not to make fun of me. OK?� He leaned toward her.
�Orlando, I will not dress up like Superman. Nor should you, for that matter.�
�Funny, Kelly. But that�s not it. I was looking through your Princeton brochure, and something caught my eye. I don�t know if you�d be interested, but I think it could be really fun, and a good workout.�
Please be a class on the Kama Sutra� �I don�t know, Orlando, �workout� is generally a no-no for me.�
�OK, well, it�s more fun than workout. So we�re doing it. And that�s final. I�m not taking �no� for an answer.�
�Yes, but what is it?� Kelly was about to resort to her favorite pillow-beating method.
�Dancing!� he exclaimed, throwing his arms wildly in the air.
Kelly just stared, her brows raised quizzically. �Dancing.� she repeated flatly. �You expect me to dance? Obviously we haven�t met. �Hi, I�m Kelly. I�m a klutz.�� She extended her hand. To her surprise, Orlando took it, pulled her off the bed, and spun her around.
�Nice to meet you, Kelly. I�m Orlando. I�ve broken a zillion bones, so I beat you in the clumsy department. We�re still going to learn how to dance.� He dipped her, and her tangled bedhead of curls nearly brushed the floor. She distinctly felt a few spinal bones pop. This would be a long day�
�Not fair,� said Kelly as she righted herself from the dip, feeling a headrush from the action and the company. �No way in hell you�re clumsier than me. You were an ELF for God�s sake!�
�Hmm� Fair point, my friend,� he mused, spinning her again, and then attempting to tango. �I am pretty damn graceful, come to think of it. But look how easily we�re gliding now! We�ll be absolute naturals.�
Kelly felt the only thing she�d be a natural at would be stepping on his toes. But then again, how often did most Wyoming girls get invited to dance with megastars? Duh, Kelly, she thought. Go to the freaking class!
�Alright. I�ll go. I can�t promise anything except bruised toes, not to mention dignity. That�ll fly right out the window.�
�Perfect. Then I�ll finally feel superior to you.�
Kelly didn�t exactly know how to interpret that comment, but she let it go. There were more important matters afoot, like what one wears while dancing with Orlando Bloom... Oh, how she wished she had the perfect red, low-cut, Argentinean tango dress� It seemed, however, that Jackson Hole High School sweatpants and a Rolling Stones T-shirt would have to do� Oh the glamour of college life�
�There is one other thing, Kelly. Before we transform into Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, I�ll have to transform into non-recognizable Orli. Because if you�re as horrible as you say, I don�t want to be seen with you!� he joked, and swatted her on the shoulder.
She responded with an indignant hit in his stomach. �I don�t know if it�s possible to make you any uglier, Fred, but I can try.�
�Ouch, love. Ouch.�
Kelly just turned her back to him and reached for her hairbrush. �We�ll have to do something about your greasy mop first. How do you feel about cornrows?� she asked, a sinister grin spreading across her face.
�Braid away. The nastier the better.� He plopped down on her bed. She crawled up behind him and began to run her fingers through his luxurious hair. This is insane.
�Alright, I�m thinking Eurotrash. Is that good for you? Can you don a cheesy French accent, black turtleneck, and beret?�
�Oh gladly. Elf, Pirate, Eurotrash. All the same vein, really. I�m a master of disguise.�
Kelly snorted, and kept braiding. They chatted easily while she finished his �look� and then she quickly changed.
�What time does this class actually start?� she asked, glancing at the clock. An hour had passed, and she hadn�t even realized.
�One. It ends at three-thirty, is that ok?�
�Yeah, I don�t have class until five, so we should be fine. Are you ready?�
�I don�t know, am I trashy enough?� he asked, turning around in a very catwalk-esque manner. He still managed to radiate the same Quintessential Bloom Energy, despite being garbed head to toe in black with braids jutting out from his head at odd angles. Kelly pretended to snap pictures of the posing Orlando, then decided only one thing was missing. She reached for a huge pair of Aviator shades and put them on his head.
�That�s perfect. Nobody in their right mind would want to recognize you now. Your anonymity will be protected.�
�Great. Then what are we waiting for?� Grinning ear to ear, Orlando grabbed Kelly�s hand and pulled her out of the room.
***
The bitter New Jersey cold stung Kelly�s cheeks as she and Orlando walked outside. �Holy crap, it�s cold!� she cried, pulling her coat tighter. Orlando reached over and began rubbing her arms to bring back some warmth, much to Kelly�s delight.
�Don�t worry,� he said. �If the map�s right, the place is just a few blocks away. Nassau Hall�know where that is?�
�Yeah,� Kelly stammered through chattering teeth. �What kind of dance class is it, anyway?�
�Break dancing,� replied Orlando matter-of-factly.
�Oh hell no. Nuh-uh. Not gonna do it.�
�Why not?�
�Well, it turns out �the worm� doesn�t work so well for me, Orlando.�
He laughed. �Now that would be a sight. But as much as I love torturing you, I lied�it�s not break dancing. Just general ballroom.�
�You mean like waltzing? Gee, if I�d have known, I would have curled my hair,� she intoned sarcastically.
�Well, it would have paled in comparison to my coif. Besides,� he added as he caught her hand, �it�s a tango class!� He flung Kelly out into a spin, but she slipped on a stray patch of ice. Of course. With a crash, she landed flat on her ass. Orlando, overcome with laughter, just walked away, feigning ignorance.
What an auspicious way to start thought Kelly as she pulled herself up. She limped after Orlando, calling, �Hey Trash! How �bout I give you two black eyes to go with your outfit!� She playfully swung her fist toward his face, but Orlando skillfully blocked her flailing arm and twisted it behind her back. Sticking his neck over her shoulder, he breathed into her ear.
�Oh no, Miss O�Shaughnessy. That was a mistake. Though I see you weren�t lying about the clumsiness!�
He released her with a grin, and Kelly contented herself by giving him a half-hearted shove. She wished the play fighting could continue�the goosebumps of his whisper still lingered on her neck�but Nassau Hall loomed ominously ahead. Crap. Time to show the REAL klutziness.
Orlando pushed open the large glass door and swept Kelly inside, despite her most fervent efforts to the contrary. �I swear, Kel, this will be fun!� He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the open dance studio.
A few people blinked in surprise as this dreadlocked man physically forced a tall and reluctant girl into the room. Kelly just waved meekly at their blank stares.
Suddenly, a familiar face caught her eye. It was Adam Wade, a guy from her Greek Society class. He wandered over to her, and gave her a little tap on the shoulder. She tapped back.
�How�s it goin�, Kel?� he asked. �Here for a little dancing with your, um, friend?� he said, gesturing toward Orlando.
�Oh yeah! Adam, this is Or��
�Jean,� Orlando interrupted, extending his hand.
Adam took the hand, but with a confused look. �Orjean? Is that it?�
�Yes. I am French, as is the name, and it is admirable that you cared to make my acquaintance.� Orlando had assumed an extremely snooty tone and was speaking in an outrageous French accent reminiscent of Monty Python. Kelly lost it. Adam just nodded and stepped back.
�Sure. The uh, pleasure�s all mine, I guess. Uh, Kel? Save me a dance?�
Kelly managed to snort a �yes� through her giggles. When Adam was out of earshot, she turned to Orlando. �Orjean? We probably should have decided on the name beforehand, eh?�
�I am perfectly content with the name I have chosen and so should you, you haughty American!� he continued in the horrendous accent, this time pairing it with an upturned face.
Kelly searched in vain for a retort, but was interrupted by the entrance of the largest woman she had ever seen. This behemoth easily cleared 6�3� and was draped in enough fabric to outfit a small army. Kelly gasped as the Amazon opened her mouth. �I am Madame Toneva,� she said with a thick Eastern European accent. �And you are here to dance. Not chatter. Not flirt. Not learn. Just dance. Form a straight line immediately or I will remove you from my studio.�
Kelly stared in amazement at Orlando, but he pretended to be scared of Madame Toneva�s threat, and scampered to join the line. He grinned wickedly at Kelly as she scrambled to join him. Adam looked at her with a questioning eye and mouthed �Is she for real?� but Kelly could only shrug as Madame Toneva began pacing.
�Dancing, children, is an art,� she sneered in a stentorian tone. �To learn this art, which you will merely attempt today, takes great effort and control of mind and body. Today, you shall be lemmings, following blindly any command I issue.�
Kelly again looked in astonishment at Orlando, who stood rigidly at attention, though the corner of his mouth was twitching with laughter. Suddenly, Toneva turned, and pointed at Orlando. In her thick voice, she belted, �You! Boy with the braids. Step forward.�
Orlando did as he was told, though Kelly could now see him shaking with suppressed laughter. Toneva�s beady eyes could hardly contain their discontent as she looked him up and down. �Why do you shake so?� she scoffed. �Why do you disrespect us all by wearing the sunglasses indoors? Do you not wish to be a lemming?�
�Oh, great glorious Madame Toneva, I do wish to be a lemming,� he said in his fawning French. �However, you see, I have just had my eyes�what is word? Ah yes, dilated, and I cannot remove the dark glasses at this point in the course of my day.�
Kelly heard muffled laughter from the rest of the class, but with one putrid look, Toneva silenced it. She glared at Orlando disbelievingly, then frowned and waved him away with the brush of her hand. Orlando saluted and returned to Kelly�s side. Kelly just shook her head.
�Today, class, we tango. Not my native dance, but I excel at it anyway. The first step to tango is to feel the music. You must all close your eyes now, and listen. If we do not listen, if we do not feel, we do not dance! EYES SHUT!� she bellowed.
Of course, it was impossible to tell if Orlando�s eyes were closed, but he placed his hand over the shades anyway. Kelly reluctantly closed her eyes, fearing Toneva�s wrath if she didn�t keep them shut. The music started, and Kelly couldn�t help getting caught up in it. It was very beautiful, very lyrical, but she again doubted her ability to dance to it.
�The tango,� said Toneva over the music, �is a dance of passion. Above all else is the passion. The tango is vertical sex!�
Kelly�s face immediately flushed and her eyes flew open in shock. Vertical sex? Kate would definitely have a problem with this. Orlando, however, just kept a stupid grin plastered on his face.
�Do not be dismayed by this prospect, lemmings. I trust you have brought partners capable of sharing your passion. You shall all do a love dance with your partners today!�
�That shouldn�t be too hard, eh mon petit ch�ri?� came the whisper in Kelly�s ear. Her blush deepened, and her heart rate skyrocketed. She looked in Orlando�s face, but the sunglasses hid whatever his eyes could betray of his true meaning. The goosebumps were out in full force on her neck again, and she could hardly hear the music over the pounding in her chest. She tried nobly to steady her breathing but what was a girl to do after Orlando Bloom says that?
The music abruptly stopped, jerking Kelly from her reverie. Madame Toneva called for everyone to pair up, and Kelly felt Orlando�s arm around her waist. She timidly placed hers upon his shoulder, and they clasped their free hands together. Kelly was enormously thankful for the sunglasses now�it would be impossible to hold up under a full-on Bloom Stare.
The next hour passed as in a dream for Kelly. As Madame Toneva demonstrated the proper steps, Kelly had to turn her gaze away from Orlando�s face to watch, but Orlando�s head never moved. It seemed that every time she turned back to face him, his gaze was exactly the same. The whole time he had this sinful little grin on his face�not a smirk, not a smile, but somewhere in between. As the hour progressed, Kelly�s legs felt more and more like Jell-O.
Thankfully, just as she thought she couldn�t take it anymore, Adam cut in and took Kelly for a spin. Orlando was forced to pair Toneva, which he did graciously.
Adam, it turned out, was a very good dancer, and an even better conversationalist. He engaged Kelly amiably throughout their dance, and she found herself laughing quite often, despite frequent glances at Orlando and Toneva.
�So Kelly, are you and um, Orjean a thing?� Adam asked as the song neared its end.
�What?� Kelly said, turning her gaze away from Orlando. �A thing? Oh God no. I mean, he�s dating my roommate, but she�s gone, so you know� I�m just hanging out with him. I mean, this dancing thing was his idea and I don�t know how comfortable Kate�that�s my roommate�would be with it, but you know I couldn�t say no to him so here I am, you know?�
Adam just laughed. �Whoa, Motor-Mouth. It was a simple question!�
�Yeah, sorry,� Kelly said, realizing she had been rambling a mile a minute. �It�s just that I feel bad she�s not here with him. It should be the two of them dancing, not the two of us. Oh jeez, look at him!�
�I�d rather look at you,� said Adam, but Kelly was too distracted to hear him.
�What did you say? Sorry, I was watching Toneva run him over.�
�It was nothing. Look, Kelly, I think you�re great, and I was wondering if you�d like to go out with me sometime�grab a coffee or something?�
Kelly was taken aback. All thoughts of Orlando fled her head. �Sure, Adam! That would be great.�
�Really? Good. You can bring Orjean if you want, if your roommate�s not back��
�Oh, did you mean today?� Kelly asked worriedly. She didn�t want to abandon Orlando.
�Well, if today�s not good for you, we can do it some other time.�
�Yeah, that would be good. I have a� a� Oh God, I think he�s trying to dip her,� she said, looking over Adam�s shoulder. Adam let out an audible sigh. �Oh I am so sorry, Adam. I�m focused. I have a class at five, and Kate comes back tonight, so could we do it tomorrow?�
�Yeah. Look, are you sure there�s nothing going on between you and Orjean? Because you can�t stop looking at him, Kel.�
Kelly instantly felt guilty. Here was this amazingly nice guy trying to set a date with her, but all she could do was watch Orlando. �God, Adam, I�ve been so rude. I�m such a jerk. He�s just� I don�t know. Fun to watch. A real character. I swear there�s nothing between us.�
�OK. I don�t mean to be randomly possessive or anything, but I also don�t want to be on a date with a girl wishing she was with someone else,� Adam said as the song ended.
�That�s completely understandable. If you�ll forgive my asshole-ness, we can start over. I swear I�ll be completely focused on our date!� Kelly held up her hand as if to swear an oath.
Adam grinned. �That would be great. I�ll call you tomorrow?�
�I�ll wait by the phone,� said Kelly with a smile as she wrote her number on his hand. She waved goodbye as Adam went to rejoin his original partner.
Orlando had slowly drifted back to Kelly after his tryst with Toneva ended. �Got a hot date?� he asked as he pulled her back into tango position.
�Not as hot as you and Two-Ton Toneva, that�s for sure,� Kelly smirked.
�Ah yes. We had the passion. Very much passion.�
�I could tell. I hope you saved just a little passion for me, though?� Kelly asked, doing a little spin.
�I�ll see if I can dig some up,� he said as Toneva announced the final dance.
Kelly was really proud of herself. In the course of the class, she had mastered the dance enough to not trip over herself, and she had been stepping on her partner�s toes less and less as the hour passed. Orlando, too, had improved, though Kelly had a sneaking suspicion he had been a proficient tango-er before the class had even started. Their last dance together was all show. He spun and dipped her; she kicked her heels up and pivoted around him.
Madame Toneva came up in the middle of the dance and pushed their bodies closer. �Closer. Closer, lemmings. He had passion with me, girl, you must equal that, if you can!� she said with a sickening glance and wink at Orlando. Kelly pretended to vomit as soon as soon as she had turned her back. Orlando smiled, but pulled Kelly closer nonetheless.
As the final strains of piano and guitar faded, Orlando squeezed Kelly into a giant bear hug and swung her around. She felt increasingly silly as the rest of the class laughed and applauded. Face red, yet again, she grabbed Orlando�s hand and tried to pull him out of the room. He paused and blew kisses to the whole room before following Kelly out.
�Well, that was fun, yeah?� he asked breathlessly.
�It was amazing! I never knew dancing could be that fun. And I got a date! A stellar day!� exclaimed Kelly as she bundled up to face the cold.
�Excellent. I, for one, am ready to slip out of Orjean and these braids, so let�s go back to your room, shall we?� He extended his arm gallantly. Kelly took it, and the duo left Madame Toneva�s.