Chapter Two
"Friday Night Sushi"
Chapter Two: Friday Night Sushi
Am I all alone in the universe?
Ever since you've been gone
Orlando sat on the couch at his Los Angeles apartment, feet up on the ottoman, looking across to where Elijah sat in his rather expensive and very comfortable recliner. �Well, Lij,� Orli sighed, leaning his head against the back of the couch, �how was LA in my absence?�
Elijah snorted. �Hot. Boring. The usual. It�s no Caribbean vacation, but you already knew that.�
Orlando sat up, leaning forward and regarding the younger actor doubtfully. �Vacation? You�ve got it all wrong, mate. I�m looking forward to a vacation here. I plan on taking full advantage of my time off before I�ve got to jet over to Spain for Troy.� Orlando rolled his eyes as he stood from the couch and stretched enormously.
Elijah grinned at his friend knowingly. �What�s this? Is the newest
Hollywood Hottie resentful of his status already?�
Orlando turned to shoot Elijah a look and cocked one eyebrow. �Hardly, my friend. Hollywood Hottie status entitles you to the cr�me de la cr�me of the female population. For years I was the one begging girls to go out on a date with me; it�s kind of nice to have them knocking on the door for once.� He winked at Elijah.
�Riiight,� Elijah drawled, standing to follow Orli into the kitchen. He looked over the top of the refrigerator door as Orlando rummaged around inside. �Well, Orli, mate, I don�t think the girls knocking on your door nowadays are exactly looking for a date. More like a fuck maybe...�
Orli straightened from the fridge and peered at Elijah. �So you�re saying having millions of women wanting to shag me silly is a bad thing?�
Elijah blinked, thrown off guard by the question, and he struggled to find some answer as Orli went back to his task of looking for an acceptable drink.
�Well�no,� he stammered finally. �I guess not. But it depends on what you�re looking for in a girl right now.�
Orli handed Elijah a Pepsi and then grabbed one for himself, finally pulling away from the refrigerator and shutting the door with his foot. He frowned at his friend, thinking for a minute, and then popped open his can with a hiss.
�What am I looking for in a girl right now?� he asked, and Elijah nodded. Orli shrugged. �I need a really good fuck� and a girl who looks good in a dress.�
At Elijah�s puzzled expression Orlando elaborated. �I need a date for the premiere, Lij! And you�ve no idea how long it�s been since I�ve had a girl who�s good in bed�� he trailed off at the look on Elijah�s face. �What?�
Elijah blinked, realizing he�d been staring at his friend, and cleared his throat, turning his eyes to his Pepsi. �Oh, nothing. I just hadn�t expected you to answer like that, actually.�
�Why not? You don�t actually believe anything I�ve said in those interviews, do you? I�ve got no reason to be having serious relationships yet, nor to even be looking for them.�
�Right. I know.� Elijah smiled at his friend. �You�re right� don�t be going around telling that to the poor journalists who interview you at the premiere, okay?�
Orlando chuckled. �Oh. Yes, right. No, no. I�ll have something much more appropriate and Hollywood-like to say to them, don�t worry.�
�Good,� Elijah said in relief, finally opening his Pepsi. But then he remembered something. �Hey wait a minute� what about Kate?�
Orlando looked to the kitchen floor and cleared his throat. �Kate?� he sounded suddenly insecure. �What about her?�
Elijah raised one eyebrow. �Well I don�t know. You tell me. You just seemed quite enamored of her before you left for the Caribbean� I thought she�d be your first choice as a date to the premiere.�
Orli scratched the back of his neck. �Yah� well� Kate and I are just friends. I don�t think she�d like to go as my date. And besides� I haven�t even talked to her since before I left.�
Elijah smiled, noticing how uncomfortable Orlando had become. So this was still a sore spot for him. Amusing really, after all his talk of the cr�me de la cr�me of the female population knocking on his door� �So why don�t you call her?� Elijah suggested. �It never hurts to ask.�
Orlando boosted himself up to sit on the kitchen counter and shook his head. �Naw, I think I already found a date.�
Elijah�s eyes widened and he leaned against the counter Orlando was sitting on. �What? Already? You just got back in town!�
Orlando shrugged, an odd little smile playing over his face as he nonchalantly took a drink of his soda.
Elijah narrowed his eyes at his friend. Cocky bastard, he thought. This is all going to come around and bite him in the ass someday� �Well?� he prodded at last, knowing Orli wanted to give him details even if he pretended it wasn�t a big deal. �Where did you meet her?�
�At Xanthos�,� Orli replied, taking the bait. �She�s a bartender there. Cute as hell� and blonde,� he added, almost as an afterthought.
�Cute?� Elijah repeated.
Orlando got down from the counter, heading back to the living room and settling himself once again on the couch. �Yah� cute. Cute in a sexy way. I�m meeting her again tonight at the bar. Then we�re gonna go out somewhere� I haven�t made up my mind where yet.�
Elijah nodded, sitting back in the recliner. �Does she like sushi?�
Orlando looked up to Elijah. �I don�t know. Possibly.�
�If she does you should take her over to that sushi place you like so much.�
Orli raised his eyebrows at the suggestion, nodding in agreement. �Matsuhisa! Right� good idea, Lij!�
Elijah smiled appreciatively and raised his Pepsi can in a mock toast. He just hoped this girl wasn�t looking for a serious relationship�
***
A phone was ringing� somewhere. Beverly struggled from the fog of sleep, making a face as she realized her cheek lied in a puddle of drool. She opened her eyes a crack, squinting against the light that managed to creep through the blinds and groggily reached for the phone by her bed. She fumbled with the receiver, at last getting a hold of it, and brought it to her ear, wiping the drool from her face with her sleeve and turning her pillow over.
�Hello?� she croaked, lying back against her now drool-free pillow and throwing her free arm over her face to block the light. She ran her tongue over her teeth, grimacing at the taste in her mouth. Blech� she needed a toothbrush� badly�
�Beverly?� a voice asked uncertainly on the other line. She immediately recognized the British tones.
�Orlando!� she blurted, utterly surprised at the fact he would call her. She had given him her number, but the fact that he�d actually called�
�Did I wake you?� he asked, and he sounded genuinely guilty.
Beverly shook her head vigorously against the phone, completely awake now. �Oh no, no� well, yes� you did actually. But it�s all right; it�s almost time for me to wake up anyway�� Her face was burning and he wasn�t even in the room.
�Oh good,� he said. �Well, I was just wondering if you liked sushi?�
Beverly blinked, her mind going completely blank. Sushi? She just kept seeing his face from the night before� so she hadn�t been dreaming� this was all real� She smiled, thinking it insane that she actually got warm fuzzies from just remembering his kiss�
�Beverly?� Orlando�s voice pulled her back from her daydream. �Is that a �no�?�
�Oh no!� Beverly said quickly, feeling like an idiot for blanking out on him. �No� I mean yes, I like sushi!� She squeezed her eyes shut, pressing a fist to her forehead in frustration. Why are making yourself sound like such a ditz?
But he was laughing on the other side. �Brilliant! I was thinking of taking you out to one of my favorite sushi places tonight. Does that sound acceptable for a second date?�
Beverly�s head swam with what he was saying. �Um, yah,� she managed to choke out past the lump of disbelief in her throat. �That sounds great!�
�Fantastic. I�ll see you at nine then� at the back door of Xanthos�?�
Beverly nodded; then rolled her eyes at her stupidity that afternoon. �Yes, nine is perfect,� she confirmed verbally. �At the back door.�
�Good. See you then!�
�Bye,� Beverly said, her mouth suddenly numb.
�Bye, love,� he said, and the phone clicked as he hung up.
Beverly sat there for a long moment, staring at her bedroom wall across the way and listening to the dial tone drone on in her ear. Bye, love.
Wow. This was serious. He was actually going to take her out. Orlando Bloom� black curls, dark soulful eyes, dimples and all� was going to take her out on a date. Beverly brought herself to move at last, hanging up the phone with a stiff arm. This was unreal.
She looked to her nightstand, picking up the piece of paper with his mobile number scribbled on it. Call me, love Orli, it said. Her stomach flipped. He�d written that for her� he�d kissed her for Christ�s sake� Beverly shook her head, determined never to drink so much ever again while on a date with Orlando Bloom. It made things far too foggy the next day. And those were things she needn�t be forgetting�
Beverly sat up, grimacing at her headache. Well, that�s what she got for staying out so late. She put Orlando�s number under her phone again and crawled carefully out of bed. Ugh. Now that the excitement of Orlando�s call had passed, she felt like she�d been run over by a train. She needed a long hot shower� and a good tooth brush� and then a big cup of coffee�.
***
It was very busy. Nearly the whole staff of Xanthos� was working that night, as it was a Friday night and the day before the premiere of a big summer movie, and the Xanthos� crew�s expectations were not disappointed. Beverly could hardly keep up with everything, and as the night got more and more crowded she felt even guiltier for having asked Jan to cover part of her shift that night.
But Jan insisted that Beverly had to go on this date, because, as she had a habit of saying far too often, it was the opportunity of a lifetime, and couldn�t be missed. Beverly had offered to do the same for Jan at some point in the future, but Jan had instead requested that Beverly simply give her all the juicy details when she got back from the outing. There won�t be any juicy details, Beverly thought as she struggled to keep up with the customer�s orders. At least, not by Jan�s definition of �juicy�� but every time she thought about sitting in a restaurant across from those eyes she melted. Who knew what would happen tonight�
�Hello, love.�
Beverly spun around at the voice, nearly dropping the glass in her hands. She recovered herself at the last second, blushing fiercely as her eyes came to rest on the grinning face of Orlando Bloom.
�Hi,� she sputtered, marveling at how just one night spent drinking with him could turn her into mush when he was around. How had she managed to stay so indifferent to him the first night he�d wondered in here? It must have been the kiss� She checked her watch. It was only 8:35. �You�re early,� she accused breathlessly.
He shrugged. �I wanted to come and see you. You don�t mind, do you?�
Beverly shook her head mutely. He looked really sharp, dressed in a white collared shirt and black tie. She was glad she�d brought something else to change into� �No, that�s fine,� she said at last. �But� do you want something to drink or anything?�
He thought for a second. �Just give me whatever you would recommend.� He winked.
Beverly smiled, turning around to fill his request. Why was she so giddy all of a sudden? She could barely get her fingers to work right. She wished he would have just waited outside. Not only was he making it impossible for her to concentrate for these last twenty minutes, but he was drawing lots of attention from the other patrons. In particular from a group of college-aged girls at the back, who were pointing and whispering behind their hands while their eyes quite obviously were stripping him naked.
Beverly sent a glare in their direction as she set Orlando�s drink in front of him. At least she would be leaving soon� Beverly just hoped Orlando�s presence at Xanthos� wouldn�t be known to the media until they were already gone. The very last thing she wanted was to have her picture plastered all over the tabloids as the newest rumored �celebrity romance�. She shuddered. No. That would be an absolute and utter nightmare.
Beverly bit her lip at the thought. In fact, she didn�t really want anyone to see her leaving with him tonight. Not that she wanted to hide the fact he was taking her out� but the questions� she could only imagine what tomorrow would be like if anyone but Jan found out about where she was going tonight, and with whom.
She�d have to find a way to sneak out�
She startled at the tap on her shoulder, turning around to see Jan looking at her knowingly. �Showtime, starlet.� Jan winked, but Beverly failed to see the humor in the comment. �You�d better go change,� Jan continued, and then nodding toward where Orli sat she added, �I�ll tell lover-boy to go around back. He�ll meet you there.�
Beverly smiled at her friend, taking a deep breath. Her stomach was twisting in both eagerness and nervousness. �Thanks,� was all she could manage to say.
Jan nodded in understanding and patted Beverly on the shoulder. �No problem, hon. Just remember� I want all the juicy details!�
Beverly rolled her eyes, already starting for the back. �There won�t be any juicy details, Jan!�
Jan shrugged, pointing after Beverly. �That�s what you think��
Beverly waved to her friend over her shoulder and ducked into the back room. She changed quickly into a simple, dark red, sleeveless dress and twisted her shoulder-length blonde hair into a quick updo. She removed a small gold necklace with two dangling hearts from her purse and fastened it around her neck, then slipped out of her tennis shoes and into her dress sandals. She shrugged into a long, light-weight black sweater to protect her from the night chill, and her heart seemed to beat harder and harder the closer she came to stepping out that back door. But at last she was ready, and with one last glance at her hair in the bathroom mirror, Beverly took a deep breath and went for the door.
She pushed it open and stepped into the parking lot, only to find it empty. Well, there were a few cars there� but no Orlando. Beverly stood motionless, her heart immediately thinking of a million reasons why he wouldn�t be there, but her brain screaming out there was really only one reason�
�Beverly!�
The relief that poured through her at the sound of that voice made her weak at the knees. She looked to her right only to see Orlando practically running toward her. She opened her mouth to greet him but he was gesturing to a car.
�Get in the car!� he shouted, and she startled when a nearby car bleeped as it was remotely unlocked. She started toward it hesitantly, and then Orli caught up to her. He put an arm around her, nearly dragging her along with him. He smiled down at her as he opened the car door for her. �Sorry to rush, love, but they�re following me.�
Beverly frowned as she ducked into the car. �Who�s following�� her words died as she looked out the back window of the car to see a small group of journalists rounding the corner of the building, cameras held at the ready. She turned quickly to the front again, attempting to hide her face with her hand as Orlando climbed into the driver�s seat and started up the car.
Please let us get out of here before they get close� she prayed.
�Hang on,� Orli warned, and the tires squealed as he threw the vehicle in reverse, then swung it around in a 180 and floored it onto the neighboring street.
Beverly hung on for dear life, hardly daring to release the dashboard even when they had pulled into traffic and were cruising along at a not-so-reckless speed. Only then did Orlando look over to her, and when she met his eyes he smiled.
�You look fabulous,� he said.
Beverly smiled, knowing her cheeks must have turned as red as her dress, and then looked back out the front window. �Thanks,� she whispered.
�I�m sorry about all that back there,� he said quietly. �Sometimes that happens.�
Beverly shook her head quickly, thinking he must have mistaken her embarrassment for anger. �Oh, don�t worry about it,� she assured him. �I understand� it�s not your fault anyway.�
He looked to her gratefully. �Well, they don�t know where we�re going. We�ll be safe for a little while, at least.�
Beverly somehow managed to keep the smile on her face. A little while? What was that supposed to mean?
*
A short time later Beverly found herself sitting side by side with Orlando Bloom in Matsuhisa, a restaurant rumored to have �the best sushi outside Japan�. It was a beautiful place; quite classy and obviously popular. Orlando had chosen to sit at the bar � not only so he could watch the chefs prepare the food they had just ordered, but also to put his back to most of the restaurant, a subtle move against public recognition that Beverly considered very clever. She tried not to stare at Orlando as they waited for their food, but it was hard. He sat very close to her, his shoulder touching hers, and had donned a black jacket to complete his outfit. He was watching the chefs with curiosity, and Beverly couldn�t help but notice the way his eyes shone in the light.
She cleared her throat, sipping at her water, but it wasn�t helping. She still felt as though she had cotton in her mouth. Orli�s hand patted her knee and Beverly nearly spit out her mouthful of water at the touch. She swallowed it quickly and set her glass down, turning to smile at him as he leaned in to talk to her.
�You�re going to love the food here,� he said, the brush of his breath against her neck giving her goosebumps. �I�ve looked all over LA, and there�s no better place for sushi than here.�
Beverly nodded, glancing up to the chefs before resting her eyes once again on his face. �You must like sushi a lot, huh?�
He grinned. �That I do, love. That I do.�
Beverly sighed happily. She was beginning to quite like his habit of saying love in a sentence. It was so endearing the way he said it, as if it was meant only for her.
They chatted amiably throughout dinner, occasionally drawing glances from other couples with their laughter, but at last the check came, and Beverly found herself extremely disappointed that this night was coming to an end. Orlando paid with his card, and while he was waiting to sign the receipt a middle-aged woman came walking toward them.
Oh great, Beverly thought. She had hoped they would escape without being noticed.
The woman came to a stop beside the counter, looking as nervous as Beverly had felt earlier that night. �Excuse me,� she spoke up hesitantly, �I�m terribly sorry to interrupt you-�
I�m sure you are, Beverly growled to herself.
�- but I was wondering if you would sign this napkin for my daughter. She�s a very big fan of yours and she�d just be ecstatic to have your autograph.�
How incredibly rude! He�s having dinner for Christ�s sake!
But Orlando just smiled kindly. �Sure,� he said, and Beverly watched in disbelief as he accepted the napkin and ink pen from the lady. �What�s your daughter�s name?� he asked.
The woman beamed like a child at Christmas time, and Beverly wondered if this autograph was really for her or for her daughter. �Her name is Molly,� the lady answered eagerly, saying the name carefully to be sure Orli heard it correctly.
�And what does she like to do?� Orlando asked.
What does she like to do? Beverly thought in confusion. What does that have to do with giving an autograph? This must be why so many people liked Orlando Bloom�
�Oh, she likes to sing,� the woman answered. �A lot.�
Orlando nodded, chuckling as if he knew exactly what the woman meant, and then turning to the napkin he scribbled a short message. Beverly tried to casually peer past the water and wine glasses to read it�
To Molly, I admire both your devotion and your mother�s patience. I wish you good luck with your singing (I�m sure you have an incredible voice) and give your mum a great big hug from me. XoXo, and then something that looked like an O-scribble B-scribble, which she took to be his name.
Geez, Orlando, pile on the charm, won�t you?
But it worked, because as he handed the napkin back to the lady her eyes skimmed over it, and her face turned bright red� probably at the �great big hug� part. She practically bowed to Orlando as she started to back away from their table. �Thank you so much,� she spewed. �You have no idea how much this will mean to her!�
Orli just smiled and lifted a hand in a farewell wave. �No problem,� he said.
The lady turned and walked quickly away, but Beverly watched her until she finally left the restaurant. At last she turned back to Orlando, who sat smiling softly and staring at her.
Beverly cleared her throat, turning her eyes to the table in front of her. That stare� those eyes� they unraveled her. She wished she had more water� �Doesn�t that bother you?� she asked finally, forcing herself to say something before she became totally lost in his gaze.
�Doesn�t what bother me?� he asked innocently.
Beverly shifted in her chair, glancing around the restaurant, noticing uncomfortably that Orlando was now drawing more attention since that lady had approached him. �You know� everyone staring at you�� she gestured with her eyes to the surrounding tables, �everyone coming up and interrupting your dinner to get autographs�? That doesn�t bother you?�
Orli grinned, flashing his brilliant teeth. �Does it bother you?� he countered.
Beverly frowned at the question, wondering how she should answer. She shrugged slightly. �Well� I don�t know�� Why the hell is he asking me? �I guess it�s a little annoying�� she shook her head, reaching out to put her hand on his without thinking. �But that�s not the point. I asked you.�
He turned his hand over, catching her fingers in his palm and giving them a squeeze. �No, I don�t mind usually. I�ve always liked being the center of attention, and that�s all this is, really. You�ve just got to get used to it I suppose. And besides, without the fans how would I make any money?� He winked.
Beverly raised her eyebrows, but just then the receipt came, and Orlando signed his same O-scribble B-scribble name. He stood from his chair and held her black sweater for her as she slipped her arms into it, and then they walked arm and arm for the front door of Matsuhisa.
But Orlando slowed as he neared it. �Uh oh,� he muttered.
Beverly looked up, and at the sight of the waiting cameras through the glass she groaned.
�Sorry, love,� he apologized again. �But you look great� you shouldn�t be so camera shy.�
Beverly tried to smile, but she kept seeing her and Orlando�s picture all over the newspapers� all over the tabloids� all over the news� She grimaced. This was not good�
�It�s all right,� he was telling her. �There�s only a few. We�ll go right through them. Okay?�
Beverly swallowed hard, trying to take reassurance from the feel of Orlando�s hand gripping hers. She nodded reluctantly. He gave her hand another squeeze and then led her forward through the doors.
Cameras flashed immediately and Beverly blinked at their blinding brightness. A clamor of questions assailed them but the words were a jumble, and if Orli answered any of them she couldn�t hear him. She held up a hand to shield her eyes, letting Orli lead her through the mess. She kept her head down, hoping no one would get a good picture of her face. She winced at the incredible number of flashes that went off every second. How is he not blind by now? She wondered.
And then the flashes were gone. Beverly dared to raise her head. They were in the parking lot, at Orlando�s car. He opened the door for her again and then climbed in himself, and they left Matsuhisa restaurant and the cameras behind.
Beverly let out a breath of relief, glad for the quietness of the car.
Orli looked over to her, seeming to study her face. �I�m sorry,� he said yet again, �it�s not usually this bad. But it�s the day before the premiere, and the media just goes crazy� I guess they think it�s a lucky thing to have all of us in one town for a few days�� He winked at her and Beverly couldn�t help but smile, feeling some of her stress begin to melt away.
�Speaking of the premiere�� he started, pulling into a nearby parking lot and stopping the car.
Beverly looked to him in confusion, feeling her stomach tighten. He turned in his seat to face her, locking her eyes with a very serious expression. He took her hands in his own, and Beverly�s heart pounded so hard in the silence she knew he could hear it.
�Beverly,� he said finally, �I wanted to ask you� I know you don�t like the cameras� but it would mean a great deal to me if you would go with me to the premiere tomorrow.�
Beverly stared at him, her mind refusing to believe what he�d just said. The premiere? She thought numbly. Me? With him? No. No way.
�Um�� she stammered, �okay.�
He looked at her doubtfully. �Are you sure?�
Beverly nodded. She thought she was going to faint. Orlando Bloom wanted to take her to the premiere of the Pirates of the Caribbean� this was far more serious than a sushi date� and there would be so many cameras there. She really shouldn�t go, and she knew that. What better way to start up rumors than to attend a movie premiere on the arm of one of the actors? On the arm of Orlando Bloom, nonetheless... when you�ve just been spotted the night before having sushi with him at Matsuhisa. Oh yes� there would be much talk about it�
But sitting there in the car with him, staring into those deep, dark chocolate eyes of his, she didn�t care. She didn�t care about the cameras or the rumors or the inevitable questions. All she cared about was seeing him again, being with him again� she never wanted his eyes to stop looking at her like they were right now�
And besides, maybe it was time for her to start admitting there could be some truth to those soon-to-be-rumors.
She suddenly grinned. �Yes, I�m sure,� she said, her voice much more confident this time. �I�d love to go with you.� As Jan would say, it's the opportunity of a lifetime�
His serious face broke into a grin and he leaned forward to plant a warm kiss on the corner of her mouth. �Great! I can�t wait!� He started the car again and continued on through the starlit night, but Beverly couldn�t take her eyes off of him. She just sat there, smiling like a fool, thinking of all the unbelievable things that had happened to her in the past two days.
He reached over to hold her hand, and at that moment Beverly didn�t think she�d ever felt happier in her life.
***
There's no love on these streets
I have given mine away to a world that didn't want it anyway
So this is my new freedom
It's funny
I don't remember being chained
But nothing seems to make sense anymore
Without you I'm always twenty minutes late
The lights go out the same
The only difference is
You call another name
To your love
To your lover now
To your love
The lover after me
�The Lover After Me� by Savage Garden
Chapter Three--Rated R Version