Chapter Three
"Walking the Red Carpet"
Chapter Three: Walking the Red Carpet
And time goes by so slowly
The nights are cold and lonely
I shouldn't be holding on
But I'm still holding on for you�
�The Lover After Me� by Savage Garden
***
Beverly chewed her nails restlessly as she approached the familiar parking lot of Xanthos�. She squinted through the late morning sunlight, cursing the headache that plagued her temples. She had not slept well at all last night, though this time it had not been due to overdrinking. This time it was purely the fault of her uncontrollable infatuation with Orlando Bloom.
He had left her standing in her doorway with the numbing sensation of his second full kiss still upon her lips, and she had watched him turn and walk away down the hallway like a perfect gentleman. She had lain awake for hours afterwards, staring at the ceiling, wondering if she should have invited him in.
But no� it was best to ignore such impulsive desires when they arose, Beverly had decided, and at last her mind had moved on to other things. Like what her boss would say in the morning when she told him she wouldn�t be able to work Saturday night, and what Jan would say when she learned Beverly was going to the premiere, and if she would be able to find a dress to wear on such short notice, and what kind of questions the reporters would ask her when she showed up next to Orlando�
Beverly gnawed at her fingers all the more fiercely at the troublesome thoughts, biting the nails on her left hand down to nothing before moving on to her right hand absently. At least she had been able to get a hold of her boss early that morning. She pulled into the parking lot cautiously, her tired eyes looking around warily for any sign of Orlando and the cameras that invariably followed him wherever he went. She wasn�t expecting him to show up here at all, but Beverly preferred not to be taken off guard if he did chance to drop by.
She groaned at the sight of the cars crammed into every available parking spot around the building, beginning to have second thoughts about her decision to come to work today. She didn�t have to be here� the boss, Mr. Ballinger, had been all too happy to allow Beverly the night off to go to the premiere, knowing all too well that having one of his employees all glamoured up for the TV cameras - and on the arm of a celebrity - would bring Xanthos� Bar and Grill plenty of media recognition. Already the news of Orlando Bloom�s frequent presence at the place the past two days had reached the streets, and the bar�s business had nearly tripled overnight.
Things were already crowded enough with all the extra people and tourists in town for the premiere, and now added to the masses that clamored to eat and drink at Xanthos� were hordes of photographers and far too eager teenage girls.
Beverly finally managed to squeeze her car into an illegal parking space, but she didn�t fret about it. There were plenty of cars parked in the Employee Only parking that she could have promptly towed as soon as she got inside. Her car would only be illegally parked until those illegally parked cars were moved. She gathered her purse and jacket and shook her head at the sight of the line that wrapped around the side of the building. She checked her watch. It was only 9:49am, and Xanthos� didn�t open until ten. She wondered how long they had been standing out there.
I should have just stayed home, Beverly told herself with a sigh. But it was too late now. Her guilty conscious had talked her into coming in today, if only to make up for abandoning everyone the night before. And it was only four hours. Then she would be free to meet up with Jan and do some emergency dress shopping before having to rush through her makeup and hair and be ready for Orlando to pick her up by five.
�Damnit,� Beverly swore as she slammed her car door and locked it. �That�s really pushing it. Why didn�t I just stay home?�
A remote clicking and whirring sound drew her attention and Beverly looked to her right only to see a man with a camera for a face standing near a black car on the other side of the parking lot. The shutter of his camera worked madly as he quickly snapped pictures of her walking to the back door of the building. Beverly felt her heart lodge in her throat and she turned away from the camera quickly, bolting the last few steps to the door and rushing inside. She shut the door behind her firmly and locked it, then stood there for a long moment, trying to process what had just happened.
Paparazzi? Beverly swallowed hard, wishing she had Orlando there to protect her from those awful cameras. But his presence would probably only make it worse. She took a deep breath, trying to shake the uncomfortable feeling that blatant disrespect of her privacy had caused. It was one thing to pose for a picture, but she was just trying to go to work�
�Bev?�
Beverly startled and turned around to see her boss standing worriedly in the doorway that led to customer side of the bar.
�Are you all right?� he asked, his graying eyebrows drawn down over his dark eyes in concern.
Beverly let out her breath and straightened from her half crouch. �Oh,� she said, forcing a reassuring smile. �Yes. Yah, Mr. B. I�m fine. Just got a little creeped out by some photographer in the parking lot.�
�You�re sure you�re okay now?�
�Oh yah. I�m all good. I�m ready. Just gotta put my stuff away�� She moved toward her locker quickly.
�All right then. Because I�m going to open the doors now. Just relax, okay? They aren�t allowed to take pictures of you in here.�
Beverly looked up to her boss appreciatively. �Good,� was all she said, and Mr. B went back out front to finally let in the anxious customers.
Just four hours, Beverly told herself, gritting her teeth as she reluctantly followed Mr. B out. Just four hours, and then you�re free. Orlando� think of Orlando. Think of his eyes�his smile� his hands�
Her tensed muscles began to slowly relax. The doors were unlocked and the customers poured in, talking and laughing loudly. Beverly took a deep breath, using thoughts of what the following night would bring to dull the agony these next few hours would bring�
*
Beverly could hardly unlock her locker fast enough. An insistent honking sounded from outside and Beverly rolled her eyes as she snatched her purse and keys and ran for the back door.
�Good luck tonight, Bev,� Mr. Ballinger called from his place by the register.
�Thanks, Mr. B!� Beverly replied over her shoulder, and then she stepped outside, only to find cameras staring back at her. She stood dumbfounded for a moment, creating a perfect opportunity for the small herd of photographers, and then Jan�s voice cut through her confusion.
�Beverly! Let�s go!�
She leapt down the stairs abruptly, pushing through the bodies that halfway obscured her way to Jan�s car, and jumped into the vehicle without hesitation, gesturing for Jan to drive before she had even shut her door.
�Go!� Beverly ordered. �Drive! Now!�
Jan was quick to obey, slamming on the gas just as Beverly closed her door. They squealed out onto the main road, leaving the crowd behind, and Beverly sank back in her seat, letting out a huge sigh of relief.
�Jesus Christ,� she swore, rolling her eyes and attempting to smooth out her ruffled hair. �You�d think I was the one who was famous.�
Jan grunted, tossing a small magazine onto Beverly�s lap. �You are famous, darling,� she commented dryly.
Beverly lifted the magazine, immediately feeling her stomach knot. She stared at the cover, wincing as her eyes came across the painfully familiar scene. �Fuck,� she hissed. �Fuuuck. God damnit! I knew this was going to happen! Fuck fuck fuck!� She threw the magazine angrily into the backseat, covering her face with her hands and leaning her head back on the headrest. But the image was seared into her brain. A wonderfully clear shot of Orlando and her exiting Matsuhisa restaurant... she clinging to his arm for dear life and ducking her head, though obviously not ducking it enough, and his beautiful face, smiling at the ground, eyes shyly averted, one hand outstretched palm forward toward the camera lens. She could see the words forming on his lips: No pictures. No pictures, he had asked. They obviously had not heeded his request.
�What are so upset about?� Jan demanded from the driver�s seat. �Christ, Bev� look at you!� She reached around to grab the magazine from the backseat and held it in front of Beverly�s face. �Do you not see that gorgeous man you�re next to?�
Beverly dropped her hands and rolled her eyes at Jan�s words, snatching the magazine from her friend�s fingers. �Jan �,� she began, but the other woman wouldn�t let her make excuses.
�Did you not notice how you are holding on to his arm?� Jan continued violently. �Did you forget that he took you out to dinner? That he drove you around the Beverly Hills countryside? That he walked you to your room? That he kissed you?� Jan jabbed her index finger onto the cover picture with each word. �That man, Beverly Henderson, is Orlando Bloom. And you�re griping about having your picture with him in a tabloid?�
Beverly stared at her friend and coworker, raising her eyebrows in the silence that followed Jan�s outburst. �Geez, Jan,� she said finally, somewhat taken aback by the passion that had been in the woman�s voice. �I didn�t know you liked him so much.�
Jan took a deep breath, letting it out heavily. She shook her head, glancing over to Beverly as they made their way toward the nearest dress boutiques on the Boulevard. �I�m sorry,� Jan apologized quietly. �I didn�t mean to get so worked up. I don�t like him� okay, well, I do, he�s a sexy hunk of man� but I mean I don�t like him in the way that you�re thinking.� Jan waved one hand in the air dismissively. �I�m just thinking with my hormones, Bev,� she admitted. �You�re smarter than that. You�re using your brain, and I�m sorry for getting angry at you for that. You probably shouldn�t listen to me.� She sighed, focusing back on the road.
Beverly looked down to the magazine on her lap, studying the picture a little more closely. �Hrm. No, actually Jan, you do have some good points,� she mused.
Jan gave a little bark of disbelief. �I do? Like what?�
Beverly grinned. �He is a sexy hunk of man.�
Jan giggled. �You already knew that.�
Beverly shrugged. �Maybe. But you have another good point too. I shouldn�t be griping about having my picture with him in a tabloid. Everyone knows these things are crap anyway� and why should I let some stupid picture ruin my night?�
Jan nodded vigorously. �Exactly. Why let it dampen the mood? You�re going to a premiere with Mr. Bloom� nothing should come between you and a good time tonight!�
�And nothing shall,� Beverly declared, �except for maybe not finding the perfect dress!�
Jan gasped in mock horror. �Do not speak of such things!� she cried. �We will find the perfect dress for you, or we�ll die trying!�
The two women fell into ridiculous bouts of giggles for the rest of the way down the Boulevard.
*
Beverly shifted the heavy pile of dresses hung over her arm to glance at her watch. Her eyes flew open at the sight of time. �Oh crap, Jan!� she hissed to her friend, who was still busy intently studying the same rack of dresses they had already inspected for the last twenty minutes. �It�s already almost three thirty! We�ve got less than three hours!�
Jan spun around to face Beverly at the news. �Oh dear God. All right� go try those on, quick!� Jan practically pushed Beverly into the nearest dressing room, and Beverly hurriedly began to undress, rifling through the ten or so dresses she and Jan had labeled acceptable. They had already searched in several of the boutiques along the Boulevard, but all had proven to be slightly � or incredibly � out of Beverly�s price range. The two of them had at last ended up at Macy�s, where Beverly had originally intended to go, and fortunately they had found several outfits that looked to be premiere suitable.
�Maybe you should call him and ask him what he�s wearing?� Jan suggested from the other side of the dressing room door.
Beverly gave a short laugh as she slithered into the first dress. �I don�t think so,� she answered.
�Why not? You two could match� it would be so cute!�
�Jan� I�ve already thought of that. Last night when I couldn�t sleep I looked up some pictures on the internet.�
�And��
Beverly looked at herself in the mirror and made a face at her appearance. Dark purple just wasn�t her color, she decided, as she peeled the dress off again and tossed it over the top of door. She grabbed a second dress. �And�� she tried not to step on the fluffy skirt, �he wore a horrid white and red ruffle-neck shirt once, a nicer black shirt and suit jacket the next time, and then finally a normal looking suit for Return of the King. And that�s just what he wore to the premieres in the States. Who knows what he wore to London and New Zealand and all that.�
Jan seemed to think over the words. �So� why can�t you call him and see what he�s wearing then?�
Beverly rolled her eyes as she ditched the second dress and took a third. �Because I�m not sure I want to know,� she said truthfully. �I mean it seems he�s got better fashion sense now� but how should I know? I might as well just get something that matches anything�� she trailed off, noticing the third dress was green. That would most definitely not match anything. She threw it over the door without trying it on and went for a white dress. �That way if he wears something crazy I won�t have to freak out trying to find something that matches, or at least something that doesn�t clash. And if he wears something normal I�ll be covered. See?�
�I suppose so,� Jan said slowly.
�And anyway, I want what I�m wearing to be a surprise.�
�Yah, I guess you�re right,� Jan finally conceded. �Try white or black then.�
�Way ahead of you,� Beverly answered, tossing off the white dress and reaching for a black one. She slipped it on and checked the mirror, doing a few turns. She lifted her eyebrows, then swung open the dressing room door to model for Jan. �Well?� she asked. �How do you like this one?�
Jan�s mouth fell open and she covered it quickly with her hand. �Ah! Bev!� she gasped. �So sleek, so elegant, so perfect! Yes! I love it!�
�All right then. I�ll get it!� Beverly ducked back into the dressing room and changed into her casual clothes again, draping the chosen gown over her arm gently and leaving the rejects on the rack outside. They rushed to the check out and found themselves back on the Boulevard soon enough, heading this time toward Beverly�s apartment.
�Do you want to swing by and pick up your car?� Jan asked, glancing to Beverly in question.
But Beverly shook her head vigorously. �No. I do not want to go back there. There�s no time anyway. I�ll get it later.�
�You�re sure?�
�Yes.� There was a brief moment of silence while Beverly held up her hands and inspected her fingers. �Oh hell,� she muttered, �I forgot I bit off all my nails!�
Jan shook her head. �No time for a manicure, babe. You�ll have to settle with nail polish.�
Beverly leaned back in her seat. �This is far too stressful,� she muttered.
Jan snorted. �You shouldn�t have gone to work today, honey.�
Beverly waved Jan�s words away. �Yah, yah. You don�t have to remind me. Let�s just get to the apartment.�
�You got it,� Jan said, and then she pressed the gas, skillfully weaving her way through the late afternoon traffic.
*
4:35� 4:39� 4:44�4:51� 4:53�4:54�.
Beverly blinked, forcing herself to take her eyes away from the clock. It seemed she�d been watching it constantly for the last hour. But she couldn�t help it. She wanted it � needed it � to be five o�clock so she could get this blasted waiting over with. Her stomach twisted unrelentingly with both nervousness and excitement, and she had to keep wiping her palms on her bedspread to keep them from growing clammy. It would be horrible to have sweaty palms tonight; no telling what important person she might have to shake hands with. Just the thought of being there in the middle of all those people, all those celebrities, all those executives, made her breath catch in her throat. She really needed to calm down�
She took a deep breath, then held it and closed her eyes as Jan gave her hair a few more spritzes of hairspray. Jan finally hopped down from the bed, moving to stand in front of Beverly. She took the comb from between her teeth and held up her hands in triumph.
�Eureka!� Jan shouted. �It�s alliiivveee!�
Beverly couldn�t help but giggle at Jan�s antics, but then she shook her head and stood from the bed to look in her full length mirror. Despite herself, Beverly was impressed with the success of their rushed makeover.
Her dark blonde, slightly wavy hair had been pulled up into a neat bunch of soft curls at the crown of her head. Several long, blonde tendrils had been left free at the sides to frame her face and create a more casual appearance. She had put on only a touch of makeup, preferring to look as natural as possible, and had brightened up her chewed off nails with a good filing and a hint of pink varnish. The black dress she had chosen fit snugly, showing off the curves that deserved to be seen and hiding the ones that didn�t. It dipped low, but not too low, in the front and swept down over her shoulders to the small of her back, leaving the smallest of trains to flutter at her sandaled heels. A slit in one side allowed for comfortable movement and gave her the opportunity to show off a little leg, and Beverly smiled at her reflection. Black had been a good color choice. It made her skin look not so pale and her golden hair shine.
�You�re gorgeous if I do say so myself!� Jan offered from behind. �He won�t take his eyes off you the whole night!�
Beverly grinned, turning around to grasp her friend�s hands. �Jan� you�re a savior!�
A knock sounded at the door and both women screamed in surprise, then looked at each other. Beverly glanced to the clock� 5:01pm. She released Jan�s fingers and went to the window, looking down onto the parking lot. �Oh my God it�s him!� she hissed. �And a fucking limo!�
Jan sprang to life immediately. �Get your purse!� she ordered. �I�ll get the door!�
Beverly nodded wordlessly and did as she was told, then waited in the bedroom as Jan answered the door.
�Is Miss Beverly Henderson here?� a smooth, British-toned voice asked, and Beverly thought she might melt right then and there from the sound of it.
�Oh� yes...,� Jan stammered, and Beverly was glad she wasn�t the only who forgot how to speak when confronted face to face with him. �She�s just getting her purse��
Beverly took her cue and straightened her shoulders, lifting her head and taking a deep breath. There was no turning back now. She stepped through the bedroom�s doorway, her eyes immediately landing upon Orlando.
Jan held the front door wide open and he stood there at the threshold looking in. She smiled at him as his eyes met her gaze and was inwardly pleased to see his eyebrows shoot up at the sight of her.
�Beverly,� he greeted softly, reaching out a hand for hers. She slipped her fingers into his palm and he kissed the top of her hand lightly. �You look amazing.�
Beverly felt her face flush, her cheeks burning hot, and she glanced down to her feet before choking out a weak thank you.
His eyes turned to look over her shoulder at Jan, who still stood by the door, watching the two of them with rapt attention. He smiled at her and held out a hand. �Are you Beverly�s flat mate?� he asked.
Jan blinked, coming out of her stare to smile and accept Orlando�s handshake. �Oh, no, sorry� I�m Janice Nellsbeth; I�m just a friend of Bev�s.�
Orlando nodded in understanding. �Well it was nice meeting you. You don�t mind if I steal Beverly away for the evening, do you?�
Jan shook her head quickly. �Of course not,� she insisted immediately. �Don�t mind in the least� you two have fun, and drive safely!�
Orlando graced Jan with an appreciative smile and another nod, and then he extended an arm to Beverly. �Shall we go then, love?�
Beverly nodded wordlessly and hooked her arm into his, and together they left the apartment, walking down the hall to the stairs arm in arm. Just before she turned the corner Beverly looked over her shoulder and met eyes with Jan. Her friend gave her a thumb�s up and Beverly returned the gesture with a wink. Then she turned her back on her friend and focused her attention on getting down the stairs without tripping in her high heels.
As Orlando and Beverly exited the apartment building and approached the limo, the chauffer opened the back door for them. Beverly glanced around discreetly, checking for cameras or mobs of fans, but she found the parking lot quiet and undisturbed. She let out a small breath of relief, feeling the muscles in her back slowly beginning to unknot.
Orlando stood back and let her climb into the plush leather seat before he ducked in after her. As the door shut behind them and the chauffer moved around to the driver�s seat again Beverly found herself very glad she hadn�t opted to spend half her life savings on a dress. Not only would she have been more uncomfortable, but she also would have been much too overdressed. As she had suspected, Orlando himself wore nothing fancy. In fact, if she hadn�t known better, she would have guessed by the looks of him he was just going out to the mall, or somewhere equally as simple.
She studied his outfit subtly from the corner of her eye as they pulled out from the parking lot. He wore a plain, black, long sleeved shirt and plain black slacks, complete with black and white sneakers on his feet and a dangle of necklaces around his neck that looked to weigh at least a pound. But the thing she found most unusual was his belt. It was pink. Or at least of a lighter red color with a white stripe down the middle, and it stood out brightly against the solid black pants and shirt. It certainly was not something she would expect to see him wearing to a premiere. Then again� Beverly turned her face to the window to hide her smile as she remembered the shirt Orlando had worn to the Fellowship of the Ring premiere. No, she decided, the pink belt was definitely something Orlando would wear�
She looked back to him again and found his dark eyes looking at her from beneath his dark curls. He had spent some time on his hair, she realized suddenly - or someone had - because his normally slightly ruffled hair had been brushed away from his face and now rested neatly on the sides of his forehead, while in the back the messy curls had been organized into tight, luxurious bundles. That is just begging to be finger combed, she thought absently, but her hands remained firmly gripped on her purse.
�You look great,� Orlando said suddenly into the quiet of the car. �Like always.� He grinned at her, then reached out to take her hand, sliding over into the middle seat to be next to her.
Beverly looked up to him in surprise at his movement, trying to ignore the fierce beating of her heart in her ears. �Are you nervous?� he asked quietly, so close she could feel the brush of his breath on her cheek.
She didn�t even attempt to talk; she had completely lost her voice. She only nodded again, staring mutely into his deep eyes.
�Don�t be nervous,� he told her, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. �These things are great fun, really. Wait till you meet Johnny. He�s a riot. You�ll love him.�
�Johnny� Depp?� Beverly finally managed to choke through her seemingly numb lips.
Orlando nodded and Beverly felt her face pale. This night was going to be insane� �And Gore Verbinski too,� Orlando continued, apparently not noticing her expression of dread. �He�s a really great guy to know� but only if he�s not directing you�� Orlando gave a little laugh and despite herself Beverly smiled. I need to relax, she told herself firmly. Look at this opportunity I�ve been given� look at who I�m sitting next to! Jan�s right� Orlando�s right� this is going to be fun� it will be fun�
�And don�t you worry about the press, Bev,� Orlando said next, and Beverly blinked at the use of her pet name. He was looking down into her eyes with the most serious expression. �You don�t have to answer any of their questions, and if you want I�ll do all the talking, okay love?�
Beverly felt her lips twitch with another smile and she gave another nod. �All right,� she relented, already feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Just let him do the talking, she assured herself. Then you won�t have to worry about if what you�re saying is wrong�
Orlando wrapped one arm around her shoulders and held her to him. �Just stay close to me,� he said, giving her a little hug. �I�ll protect you from the big, bad cameras.�
Beverly gave a little snort, looking up into his face at the words. He smiled down at her and gave her a wink and she looked back out the tinted window, shaking her head. �I feel much better now,� she joked, although inside Beverly really did believe him. He was used to the publicity. He knew how to handle it. All she had to do was stick to him like glue, and let him handle any questions that came up. That�s all there was to it. Simple. Piece of cake. Easy as pie�
�Good,� Orlando said, and then he fell silent, turning his eyes to the window as well. Beverly wondered if she should tell him about the tabloid picture. He probably already knew. How could he not? She sighed, deciding not to bring it up, and relaxed into his embrace. She didn�t want to talk about it anyway, and she didn�t want to disrupt this quiet time she had with him. She liked the feel of his arm across her back, the warmth of his palm against the bare skin of her arm, the steady rise and fall of his breathing against her body. She liked the fact they were hidden behind the tinted windows, away from prying ears and eyes, away from the flashing cameras. Maybe on our next date I can have him alone, Beverly thought. Just by ourselves. Without the public. The thought made her smile and Beverly snuggled back farther against Orlando�s body. The fingers of his left hand absently stroked the skin of her arm while the fingers of his right hand squeezed her right palm in acknowledgement of her action.
Beverly gazed out the window, only vaguely noticing the buildings and street signs that passed by, and wished this car ride would never end.
But of course� it did.
*
Orlando sat up in his seat suddenly, startling Beverly from her near comatose state of bliss. She sat up along with him, looking around in interest to see what had drawn his attention. But then he showed her, pointing out her window to the street ahead.
�There it is, Bev!� he said excitedly, sounding almost like a child in his eagerness. �Disneyland!�
Beverly squinted out the dark window and blanched at the sight. The parking lot for the park was bursting with cars, and people swarmed in droves toward the main entrance. She hoped � she prayed � they would not be going in that way. To her relief the limo curved off onto a separate road just before reaching the main parking lot entrance, driving around behind the outer perimeters of the park. After a fairly lengthy drive down the empty road the limo came to a stop, and Beverly and Orlando peered through the window to see a barred black gate blocked their path into the park�s backlot. A uniformed guard went to the driver�s window and received a pass from the chauffer, and after looking over it for a moment the guard nodded and handed it back, then pointed to somewhere ahead, apparently giving the driver parking directions.
Orlando grinned again as the black gates began to whir open. �Here we go,� he said cheerfully. �The happiest place on Earth!� The limo pulled through the gates carefully, and then Beverly and Orlando were on their way.
More like the most crowded place on Earth, Beverly thought grumpily as she observed that even the back areas in Disneyland were bustling with activity. She didn�t see how anyone could find their way around in such a mess, but the limo driver seemed to know exactly where he was going. He wound his way past a few blocky office buildings, between a few white storage trailers, and around a few large green trash dumpsters, and then he turned a corner to reveal the whole spread of Disneyland�s California Adventure� Park.
�Oh my God,� Beverly breathed, unable to stop herself. The wide road usually reserved for the feet of tourists had been fenced off on either side, leaving a narrow lane down the middle which appropriately had been covered with red carpet. On both sides of that red lane, behind the temporary and much too flimsy looking fence, stood hundreds of people, lined up for as far as she could see, crammed into every bit of available space. And in the far distance, looming high into the sky alongside a Ferris wheel and a rollercoaster, soared the huge sails of a pirate ship. Beverly swallowed hard, knowing that ship was their destination and swearing it was much, much too far away.
�Beverly?� Orlando asked in concern. �Are you all right?�
Beverly tore her gaze from the sight in front of her and looked to Orlando with disbelieving eyes. Was she all right? How could he ask that? Of course she wasn�t all right! She glanced back out the window, noting uneasily that the few policemen posted along the way were not nearly enough to control such a mob. �So� many� people,� she whispered, shaking her head as she studied the ones closest to the limo. They were all ages, though truly the majority seemed to consist of younger women and girls. But there were middle aged men and women too, and children, and here and there she spotted someone wearing a pirate costume. �So many people,� she said again. �And they haven�t even seen the movie yet!�
Orlando grunted, leaning over to look out the window with her. His face was only inches from hers; she could nearly feel the warmth of his skin against her cheek. He glanced at the crowd for a second, but then sat back again and looked to her. �But they will,� he said brightly. �Like I said� without the fans, how would I make any money?�
Beverly turned around to look at him, a small smile curving her lips at the familiar line. �I guess�� she began, but then she didn�t know what else to say.
Orlando sighed, cupping her face in both his hands and looking down at her with eyes that would have melted ice. �Beverly,� he said softly, �I don�t want this to be unpleasant for you; I want you to have fun.�
Beverly swallowed in a dry throat, struggling hard to regulate her breathing. �I know,� she croaked out. �I�ve just never� seen so many people�� She offered a weak smile, lifting her hands to rest on top of his, taking comfort in his touch. �But I�ll just stay close to you,� she said finally. �And then I�ll be fine.�
He smiled. �Are you sure?�
She nodded within his hands, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. �Yes. I�ll be fine. Really. I�ll get over it.�
�Okay� thank you for doing this for me.�
Beverly blinked up at him, completely taken off guard by the words. �For� for doing what?� she stammered.
�For coming with me,� he answered. �I know you don�t like all the attention. But you came anyway. Thank you.�
Beverly�s mouth hung open for a minute before she could find the words. �You�re welcome,� she breathed at last, thinking that somehow his face was getting closer to hers.
Just as the words left her lips Orlando leaned down and closed his mouth over hers, kissing her deeply. Beverly reached up, her fingers wrapping into the curls at the nape of his neck as she responded to his tongue�s invitation. Her worries about the crowd and the cameras and the red carpet vanished to the back of her mind, and the only thing she became aware of was the hand he had pressed to the small of her back, the feel of his lips on her own, the taste of his kiss. But this kiss was different than the others. This one was more aggressive, more probing, more passionate, and Beverly felt it light a fire within her.
A knock on the limo�s window jerked both Beverly and Orlando from their fervor, and they scrambled apart as if they were teenagers caught by a parent.
�Jesus bloody Christ!� Orlando swore, glaring at the man who stood outside his window peering in.
�Hey, Bloom!� the man called, his voice muffled by the window glass. �Is that you in there?� He knocked on the glass again. �Get your ass out here, we�re waiting on you!�
Beverly stared wide-eyed at Orlando, still breathing hard, trying to gather herself. What had just happened? He glanced to her, giving her an apologetic look, and then swung his door open. Beverly hastily straightened her dress, checked her hair, and dabbed at her lip gloss as Orlando stuck his head out from the limo to address the person who had so rudely interrupted them.
�Do you mind?� Orlando asked as he climbed out of the car.
Beverly winced at the screams of glee that greeted Orlando�s appearance. Only the teenage girls among the crowd could have made those sounds� there must be more of them than she had originally thought�
The man who had intruded on their kiss leaned down to peer into the backseat, grinning at Beverly and tilting his hat politely. She was surprised to see he had several gold teeth. �My apologies,� he said in a rather familiar voice. �I wasn�t aware there was a lady in this car.�
Beverly smiled at him, but then Orlando nudged the other man out of the way and reached down to help Beverly out. She took his hand gladly and managed to get clear of the limo without embarrassing herself. And that was a good thing, because as she straightened Beverly swept her eyes over the audience again and could swear every single pair of eyes rested on her. Well, no wonder, she mused, a sudden realization dawning on her. I just crushed about a thousand girls� fantasies by stepping out of that car. She looked away from all those eyes quickly, remembering with vivid clarity several of the websites she had come across the night before. She had not known much about Orlando Bloom that first night he�d walked into Xanthos� Bar and Grill, but after their second �date� she had decided to do a little research on him. And she�d found more than she bargained for. Despite having been in only three major films before Pirates of the Caribbean, and those being a trilogy, Orlando Bloom was all over the net. She found no shortage of Orlando Bloom dedicated websites, and no shortage of his pictures, either. There were message boards and forums galore, all devoted to purely Orlando discussions. It was amazing� she had not expected him to be so popular.
Beverly watched as Orlando laughed with the man who had knocked on their limo window and then gave him a hug. She mentally shook her head, wondering at how he could be so casual in front of so many people� wondering if he had any clue as to how many websites there were out there devoted to him, wondering if he knew how many girls and women out there wanted to be with him right now�
I�m with him right now, Beverly suddenly thought, as if it were a revelation. I�m with him� I�m living their fantasy� She smiled ironically at all of it. Here she was, a simple Los Angeles bartender who�d hardly had a clue about Orlando Bloom when he�d first asked to take her out for a drink. And now she was standing next to him at the premiere of his next big movie, while all the poor fan girls who knew his favorite flavor of ice cream were stuck behind the fence, scrambling for an autograph.
Beverly sobered at the thought. Jan had been absolutely right from the very beginning. This was an opportunity of a lifetime. How many other women would kill to be in her shoes, and she was worried about the press and a crowd of fans? She stood a little straighter, making up her mind. She was going to have fun tonight, more fun than she�d ever had before. She owed that much to herself, to Orlando. She was not going to take him for granted. She was not going to take any of this for granted�
�Beverly, I�d like you to meet Johnny Depp,� Orlando was saying, and Beverly slowly drew out of her thoughts to focus on the hand Mr. Depp held in her direction. She smiled and shook it heartily, realizing the man who had knocked on their window was, indeed, Johnny Depp.
�Pleasure to meet you, Miss Henderson,� Johnny said pleasurably, and Beverly nodded to him to cover her surprise at the use of her last name. She must have missed the part where Orlando had introduced her�
�You too,� Beverly said shyly. Then she forced herself to keep talking, mostly so she wouldn�t have to meet the eyes of the waiting crowd again. �Orlando�s told me all about you.�
Johnny raised his eyebrows. �Oh, has he?� He turned toward Orlando, who shrugged innocently. �Only good things, I hope?� he asked, turning back to Beverly.
She tossed Orlando a playful look as she answered. �Mostly.� Her heart beat a mile a minute and Beverly had to struggle to keep her voice even. She still found it hard to believe any of this was actually happening. She�d ridden in a limo to a movie premiere as Orlando Bloom�s date, and now she was making small talk with none other than Johnny Depp!
Johnny laughed, flashing his gold teeth again, but the arrival of another limo caught their attention and interrupted their conversation. The doors swung open immediately, and from one side a young woman emerged; from the other side came three distinctly different men.
The young woman bounded toward the waiting three that had already arrived, a grin spreading across her face and showing dimples. �Johnny! Orli!� she greeted happily, leaning forward to give them each a hug and a kiss on the cheek. The two men returned her affections, equally as happy to see her as she had been to see them.
Beverly watched them, feeling her eyes narrow at the young woman�s clothes. Jeans? Apparently this woman thought much along the same lines as Orlando, because she too was dressed as if she was simply going shopping; in jeans, some kind of very cropped white shirt and a black leather jacket over the top. She must be Keira Knightley, Beverly decided, struggling to remember what she had seen of the movie previews.
Orlando confirmed her guess as he continued his introductions. �Keira, I�d like you to meet my date, Beverly Henderson.�
�Oh, hello,� Keira turned to Beverly with a smile and shook her hand. �Nice to meet you.�
�You too,� Beverly replied for what seemed like the millionth time. She smiled at Keira, but couldn�t help noticing how the girl�s dark eyes always seemed to flick back to Orlando or Johnny. Beverly turned to the men who had arrived with Keira and was introduced to them as well, learning that they were Gore Verbinski, the director, Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer, and Jack Davenport, who had played Captain Norrington. Her head spun with all the names. She hoped she could remember which names went with which faces�
�Well?� Johnny asked, �Are we all ready now? Let�s go� the rest of �em are already way ahead of us!�
Beverly wondered who �the rest of �em� included, but she didn�t ask. She didn�t need any more names to confuse her already overwhelmed brain. Orlando ushered her along in front of him, and they left the safety of the limos behind, stepping out onto the red carpet and making their way toward the pirate ship on the horizon.
*
Stay close to me, Orlando had said, but it proved more easily said than done. They had gone only about halfway down the length of the red carpet, and already the sun was dropping low in the sky. Beverly hadn�t brought her watch, but she�d managed to sneak a peek at Orlando�s rather large watch face once or twice already. Last time she�d checked it was nearly eight o�clock, and the movie was scheduled to start at nine. She glanced ahead at the lengthy walk they still had to go and doubted they�d be able to make it in time for the start of the movie at this pace.
Keira and the others, except for Johnny, had all moved on, leaving Orlando to go at his own speed. Probably a good thing, Beverly had to admit, because it seemed, at least to her, that nearly everyone on the other side of those fences had come to see him. Johnny was getting some good attention too, but when Orlando walked by he looked like a magnet; arms reached out for him, waving pens and markers and papers and posters, and the people in the front row got up to stand on the fence, screaming out his name, leaning over the top precariously with hands waving in the air to try and catch his eye.
Beverly actually felt safer standing away from Orlando than she did standing close to him. He went from one side of the red carpet to the other, greeting those clamoring fans happily, shaking as many of the outstretched hands as he could grab and scribbling his name as quickly as possible on nearly every surface that was presented to him. Beverly stayed away from him, away from them. She stood in the middle of the aisle, as far away from the groping hands as she could get, and watched as he ate up the attention. What he�d told her in the restaurant last night had been absolutely true. He did like being the center of attention. He liked it very much. But then, who would want to become an actor if they didn�t like being in the spotlight?
But she had never wanted to be an actress� she had never wanted to be in the spotlight. It�ll be worth it, Beverly reminded herself once more. Soon you�ll be sitting next to him, in peace and quiet, watching his movie. This part is almost over with... then you�ll have him all to yourself again... She looked around at all the random people that had joined her, Orlando, and Johnny since the beginning of their walk. She had no idea who they were, and yet it was obvious Orlando and Johnny were familiar with them, because neither of the men gave them any notice. One such person was a dark haired, middle-aged woman who kept fluttering about Orlando with a worried look on her face, a passcard hung around her neck and a bottled water gripped in one hand. That had to be his PR agent, or someone of the like, Beverly concluded, because every now and then she would whisper something in his ear and he would nod seriously, then go back to ignoring her.
Johnny had once such follower as well, and Beverly guessed that was his PR agent, although Johnny�s was a man and not nearly as fretful or fast-moving as Orlando�s. The rest of them looked to be press, and Beverly avoided them at all costs. They didn�t seem to pay her much mind though as long as she kept her distance from Orlando. All she had to do was stand in the middle of the red carpet and watch, and they all went to him. Drawn like vultures to a kill, like moths to a flame, they assailed him one after another with microphones and questions.
Orlando took it all in stride, often managing to still sign autographs even while giving an interview. In between the TV reporters� assaults Orlando would occasionally accept a small disposable camera from a fan, and handing it off to his agent, he would then proceed to pose with the owner of the camera, and that small flash would join with the hundreds of other periodic flashes that lit the evening sky.
Beverly held her breath every time he leaned over the fence to pose with the fans. She kept expecting some over eager Orlando fanatic to grab a hold of him and not let go, or to perhaps drag him over onto their side in their zeal. But he always emerged safely, and so in such a fashion he proceeded very slowly down the red carpet, and Beverly stood to the side, content to be an observer and yet feeling strangely lonely and out of place amid such a throng of people.
*
Finally, Beverly sighed to herself. Finally I get to sit down! She settled comfortably into her front row seat and smiled over to Orlando as he sat down next to her. He flashed her a brilliant grin and grabbed her hand, sitting back in his seat with a sigh. Beverly took the opportunity of holding his hand to turn his watch over and look at the time. Two minutes till nine� they had barely made it. And that was all thanks to Orlando�s fluttering PR agent - or whoever she was. If Orlando had been left alone Beverly had no doubt he�d still be miles from the pirate ship, signing autographs and taking more pictures. But as it were, the dark haired, middle-aged woman had started to usher him along at about eight thirty, when Beverly was positive they were going to be late.
Orlando had reluctantly responded to the woman�s prodding, although Beverly could tell he was annoyed. She felt bad for him, seeing him pushed along and constantly reminded he needed to pick up the pace, but she knew it was necessary if he were to make his appearance at the ship on time. And then finally, finally after hours of walking the red carpet and watching the hordes of fan girls scream and slobber for Orlando, after watching him sign hundreds of autographs and get photographed thousands of times, after seeing him give countless interviews and even hand out a few kisses on the cheek to choice fans or interviewers� at last they had reached the pirate ship.
But it hadn�t been the safe haven Beverly had expected. A large crowd of photographers awaited them at the ends of the red velvet rope, and now it was too late for Beverly to move away from Orlando. The flashes blinded her. And this time she too was caught in the pictures. Then came one last news camera, and Beverly had quickly tried to duck behind Orlando. But she hadn�t moved fast enough, and Orlando pulled her back around to stand beside him. The microphone had been held to her mouth and the camera light pointed to her face.
Beverly shook her head in her seat, squeezing Orlando�s hand as she felt her face burn hot even with the memory of that horrible interview. It had been absolutely embarrassing, humiliating, terrible. But Orlando had come through for her, just as he�d said he would, and soon the microphone and light had been focused again on his very sought-after face.
Then it had been time for the �official� pictures, during which time Beverly was relieved to be able to once again stand to the side. Orlando and many of his movie companions posed together in front of a Pirates of the Caribbean backdrop as photographers from nearly every website and magazine in LA worked their shutters madly. Beverly had crossed her arms as she realized Keira always placed herself between Johnny and Orlando. She�s just trying to live it up while she can, Beverly told herself, fighting down her sudden irritation at the younger girl. She�s not taking this for granted� just like me�
Beverly leaned forward in her seat slightly, tossing a sideways glance over to the seat on the other side of Orlando. She was not surprised to see Keira there. Beverly tried not to let it bother her, but then she couldn�t stop thinking about how friendly and flirty Keira and Orlando had been on the short ferry ride over to their seating platform. Despite being surrounded by Mr. Verbinski, Mr. Bruckheimer, and Mr. Davenport, and not to mention Beverly herself, the two of them had not hesitated to tease each other, stick their tongues out at each other, and otherwise playfully annoy one another.
Beverly narrowed her eyes and sat back in her seat, frustrated with herself. She had no reason to feel jealous. Orlando wasn�t taking Keira out, he hadn�t kissed her � or at least, hadn�t kissed her on the lips � he hadn�t taken her out to dinner, he wasn�t holding her hand, and he wasn�t driving her home. On the other hand, Keira didn�t have to make it quite so obvious that she had spent three months in the Caribbean working with Orlando, and playing his love interest at that.
I�m his love interest now, Beverly told herself firmly, but her heart shivered at the bold words. She bit her lip, glancing over to see Orlando chatting casually with Keira. Aren�t I? She swallowed hard, shutting off her mind to such thoughts. That question brought up too many possibilities, for good and for bad. She didn�t want to think about that right now. She didn�t want to think about her relationship with Orlando ending, and she didn�t want to think about it continuing, either. It was a thing far too big and complicated for her to comprehend at the moment. All she wanted to do right now was watch this movie and make it through the after party. She would think about everything else later, when she was away from all these people and all this noise, when she could think straight.
�Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,� a voice boomed over the loudspeaker, startling her, �� the movie is about to begin!�
A deafening chorus of cheers greeted the announcement and the colorful lights that had been lighting the massive screen above the ship dimmed. The darkness of the night was allowed to fall over the crowd, and a hush suddenly gripped the entire park.
Orlando leaned over to Beverly, giving her a light kiss on the cheek before whispering in her ear: �You�re going to love this movie!�
Beverly settled in to watch; greatly interested to find out if he was right, and even more interested to see what he would look like in a movie without a blond wig and pointy ears.
*
Beverly stumbled out the door Orlando held open for her, thinking she had drunk just a little too much wine. Things seemed a little unsteady and the edge of her vision was a little hazy� of course, that could have also been due to exhaustion�
�Careful, love,� Orlando cautioned playfully, coming to stand by her side and steadying her with a grip on her arm. �Come on now, you didn�t drink that much,� he teased.
Beverly eyed him with a smile. �And you?� she asked. �I happened to see you down quite a bit of that wine��
He shook his head. �But I can still walk straight!�
Beverly grunted, leaning against him as they made their way slowly toward where the cars had been parked. �I�m just tired,� she admitted, and it was mostly the truth. She had remembered her previously established rule of no overdrinking when with Orlando, and she hadn�t overdone it tonight like she had the first night. She just had a little buzz� it would pass in an hour or so.
�Oh, sorry,� Orlando apologized. �I suppose I should have given you a bit of a warning. Premieres can be hard business.�
�Yah,� Beverly agreed, thinking that was an understatement. They had first arrived in Disneyland a little after six, and here it was close to three in the morning and they were just now leaving the after party. She�d had no idea what she was getting herself into when she had agreed to come to �the premiere� with Orlando. But she had made it through, and now that it was all said and done Beverly didn�t regret coming.
�No worries, love,� Orlando said, �I�ll drive.�
Beverly frowned in confusion. �The limo?� Now that she thought about it, she realized she had no clue how they were going to get back to Los Angeles at three in the morning.
But he was laughing. �No! My car! Lij and I brought it down yesterday so I wouldn�t have to worry about it today.�
�Oh. Lij?�
�Yes� Lij. Elijah. My friend.�
�Oh,� Beverly said again, trying to get her brain to work around the alcohol and exhaustion that slowed it down. Orlando guided her to his car, the same one he had driven on their sushi date, and opened the passenger door for her. Beverly climbed into the plush seat gratefully; glad to be able to relax after so many hours of socializing with the celebrities and executives at the after party. It had been one of the most stressful events she�d ever attended in her life� in fact, Beverly was proud of herself for drinking so lightly considering the circumstances.
At least Orlando had never left her side during the party. He had hardly let go of her hand for the entire three hours. And there had been no screaming fans, no TV crews, and very few flashing cameras. The party had definitely been an improvement over the red carpet walk, at least. But still, it was very nice to finally be alone with him and in the quiet, Beverly reflected as he pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main road. Very nice�
�I�m sorry I kept you out so late,� Orlando said suddenly into the silence. �I�m so used to partying with the guys� I completely lost track of time.�
Beverly looked over to him in disbelief. �What makes you think I can�t party as late as the guys?� she asked indignantly.
He glanced to her in surprise. �You said you were tired��
She shrugged. �Just wait. I�ll get my second wind soon enough.�
He smiled at her. �I never got a chance to really ask you before� did you like the movie?�
Beverly sat up in her seat, almost as if her second wind had already hit her, and nodded vigorously. �I loved it, Orlando!� she gushed. �You were great, Johnny was great, Keira was great�� Beverly faltered, remembering Orlando and Keira�s kiss at the end of the movie, remembering her and Orlando�s kiss in the limo before the whole thing started. Her stomach fluttered at the thought of it. She cleared her throat, turning her eyes to the road before them. �I really enjoyed it,� she finished softly. �I�d like to see it again.�
�I�m glad you liked it,� Orlando told her, and then he reached over to take her hand again. �I feel like I didn�t get to see you much on the red carpet,� he confessed abruptly, and Beverly�s gaze unconsciously went back to his face. �That didn�t go exactly like I planned�� he glanced over to her, and in the orange light of the car�s dashboard dials she could see his brow furrow. �I didn�t mean to leave you��
Beverly shook her head, stopping his guilt-ridden words with a wave of her hand. �Don�t apologize,� she said. �You had to see to your fans. And it turned out better that way. The cameras went to you and stayed away from me.�
An appreciative smile crept slowly across his lips. �I�m glad you feel that way. I felt really bad about that.�
�Well don�t worry about it. I understand.�
He nodded. �Thanks.�
They spent the rest of the ride recounting their favorite parts of the movie, and Orlando added to Beverly�s chosen scenes by telling her stories about the filming of them. In a little less than an hour they pulled up in front of Beverly�s apartment, and by that time she was laughing so hard there were tears in her eyes, all because of Orlando�s recent description of a horrible little prank he had pulled on Johnny Depp.
�Yah,� Orlando said, chuckling at the memory, �he didn�t talk to me for three days after that one.�
Beverly covered her mouth to try and stop her giggles. �He had to walk around with that massive eyeliner on for three days?�
Orlando grinned devilishly. �Well, actually a week. But it�s Johnny. He got over it� actually he learned to like it.�
Beverly snickered and shook her head. �You�re evil!�
He shrugged. �Only when I have to be.�
Beverly finally stopped her laughing and took a deep breath, letting it out heavily and looking across the car to Orlando. He had donned a blue, velvety jacket over his black long-sleeved shirt, although where he�d gotten it from she had no idea. His once carefully styled hair had become quite undone throughout the course of the night and now the loose curls hung freely across his forehead and over his ears. The black pools of his eyes searched her face, reflecting the soft glow from the dashboard as they moved. His hand rose to her cheek and instinctively she leaned into the warmth of his palm, the soft touch of his fingertips.
Beverly swallowed hard, feeling her heartbeat quicken. This was one of those moments, she realized. One of those moments when you were supposed to kiss, when it seemed the universe itself pulled you toward that other person, and to resist that pull would be to defy gravity itself. But she hesitated, remembering clearly their previous kiss. It had frightened her with its intensity and yet she knew that was not all Orlando could give. She�d caught only a glimpse of his passion then, and it was alarming, but at the same time she found it ever so tempting to try for more. So tempting� Beverly struggled to control the urge that demanded she lean forward and claim his lips for her own. She fought it hard, and forced herself to speak.
�I� I should probably go up now,� she croaked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Orlando blinked, as if coming out of some deep thought, and Beverly felt relief wash through her. There. She had shattered the moment, broken the spell that had fallen over them. She would be safe now� safe from those lips and that kiss that stopped all coherent thought.
He nodded slowly, then smiled gently. �All right,� he said quietly. �I�ll walk you up.�
Beverly nodded silently in consent, not trusting herself to speak again. He got out of the car and went around to open the door for her, and then arm and arm they entered the apartment building and ascended the stairs they had descended together so many hours ago. They reached Beverly�s apartment door soon enough, and she unlocked the door before turning again to Orlando.
�Thank you for taking me to the premiere, Orlando,� she whispered, looking up into his face. �I had a good time.�
He took both her hands in his own, standing very close to her and looking down into her eyes. �Really? You�re serious?�
Beverly nodded, giving him a soft smile. �Yes. I�m serious.�
�Good. I had fun with you too. I�m glad you came.�
�Me too,� she answered, dropping her eyes from his powerful gaze and turning them to look at the white toes of his shoes. She took another deep breath, and then, going against every instinct in her body, she said quickly, �Goodnight, Orlando,� and turned away from him to enter her apartment.
He caught her wrist before she could get through the door, spinning her back around to face him and catching her against him with one hand while the other went to the back of her neck. He leaned down and kissed her hard, cutting off her protests before they even left her lips. Beverly closed her eyes, losing herself in it, feeling the fire come raging back full force to burn through her entire body. He pushed her back against the wall, pressing his body into hers; his hot lips moving from her mouth to her jaw.
No, her mind feebly tried to protest, you have to stop this. You must stop this� Goosebumps raced up her arms as he gently nipped at her earlobe. Why? Beverly demanded back at herself, the sudden question blazing a clear path through her whirling brain. Why should I? She thought of all the fans she�d seen earlier that day, crying for Orlando; all the websites she�d found the other night full of girls and women who talked about nothing other than what they�d do to him in bed� and then there was Kiera, who�d hung all over him at the premiere, flaunting the fact that she knew him personally. All of them obsessed with Orlando Bloom. They want him� but I have him, Beverly thought numbly as his kisses began to move back toward her mouth. This is what they want� this is what I want� why shouldn�t I be able to have what I want? He�s mine now. He�s mine�
Beverly wrapped her arms around him, her fingers tangling in his hair as his kisses moved down her neck, and she led him toward her apartment door. They stumbled over the threshold together and Beverly kicked the door shut behind them.
***