~*~ Chapter 2- En Juilliet ~*~
Raya's father, Richard, did end up making Raya's twenty-first birthday a double party celebrating Spencer going international. Raya enjoyed herself, as many of her gifts were dozens of designer dresses. There was plenty of champagne, and more than enough food to go around.
"So, Raya, have you heard from that bloke lately?" Anaka asked, holding Raya's arm as they mingled in the crowds.
Raya adjusted the onyx and ruby encrusted tiara she wore on her head. "I haven't lately, but I do suppose he's been busy filming and training. The last time we spoke, he was doing horseback riding."
She and Anaka walked along as the guests greeted her with a happy birthday, and the odd congratulations to her father's new deal. The party could not have lasted longer. After Raya's guests left, she was left with Anaka, and her father's business friends, all portly old men, but not quite so humorous or bumbling as her father.
"He never showed up, did he?" Anaka asked, treading lightly on the subject. She had taken off her shoes and was now walking with Raya back upstairs to where their respective hotel suites was located.
"I'm sure he was busy." Raya replied, waving her hand at Anaka dismissively. She reached her suite first and entered it without giving Anaka a chance to come in. She walked to her telephone to check for messages. None. She then looked at her pager, none. But her mobile was blinking happily. Dialing the numbers to access her voicemail, she listened intently to the message.
"Hello Raya....it's Orlando. Sorry I couldn't come, but," She heard him take a breath and then groan, "filming has had it's more painful moments. I'll talk to you soon. Bye, love." Though he was in pain, Raya smiled at his calling her 'love'.
Orlando found himself bedridden for his first of six weeks. He eternally damned the horse he rode that day as he gingerly touched his chest. "Dom!! Could I have some milk?"
There was a sigh when the other man came into the living room carrying a glass of milk. "You know, they said you could get up and do some kind of movement."
"Dom, actually, I like being waited on." Orlando said, taking the milk from him. "When's Billy supposed to get here?"
"In an hour." Dom replied. He looked around at Orlando's pictures, finding a framed picture of Raya. "Who is she? Does she have a nice rack in real life? Is she single?"
"That's my Raya. And I am disinclined to tell you whether or not she has a nice rack. And no, she's not single." Orlando replied after drinking half of the glass.
"Your girlfriend eh?" Dom asked, intrigued.
"Well, we haven't gone out since May, and we've been really busy since then." Orlando responded. "So I suppose we have to have the talk."
"Ahhh...the talk." Dom said wisely. "So you're not sure if this is something serious, then? Have you gotten to lay her yet?"
"The last time we saw each other, in May." Orlando replied, sighing. The pain his ribs were giving him was an all too awful reminder of his broken back.
They heard a car pull up outside of Orlando's condo. Dom, excited to see another face other than Orlando's, went to the door. He was greeted, instead by the same girl in the picture, only she was several shades more tanned. "Will you be a gentleman and take my luggage, sir?" She asked him. Taking off her sunglasses as she stepped into the house, she managed to find the living room.
"Orlando! What have you done?" Raya asked, seeing him bed ridden, and his chest wrapped tightly. "Are you alright? Does it hurt?"
"Of course it hurts, his ribs are only broken." Said Dom, after carrying in rather heavy luggage.
"And who might you be?" Raya asked, looking at him with disdain.
"Dominic Monaghan, hobbit actor and this week's caretaker." He replied, extending a hand.
Raya dismissed the handshake, turning her attention back to Orlando. "Have you had anything to eat?" He shook his head. "Well, then I suppose I should make something for you."
"You can cook?" Orlando said, speaking suddenly.
"Of course I can. Having a cook does not make you automatically anti-kitchen work." Raya answered, patting his shoulder. "Now just you rest and let me tend to you."
Dom studied her as this went on, and once she was fully out of the room, looked at Orlando. "I don't like her, Orly." He said, giving his verdict. "She seems too perfect, and there's something else about her I just don't like."
"Well, you can go on and judge her if you like, but she's a lovely bird. We've talked on the phone a lot and I seem to make her laugh." Orlando said, pleased with himself. He heard lots of pots clanging. "Raya, all right in there?"
"Oh don't worry about me, I'm just laying everything out." Raya replied. "No nail will be broken, no hair found undone."
"She looks familiar, other than that picture, have I seen her before?" Dom asked.
"She's the only daughter of the mogul behind Spencer European Insurance." Orlando replied. "And she's been the spokeswoman for quite some time now."
Dom gave a knowledgeable 'ah' and sat down on the floor, opening the script, reading his highlighted portions to himself. About an hour or so passed and apparently Raya was still not done cooking. Dom looked up from his reading when he saw her walking back to the living room. "Orlando, I know you're vegetarian, but I find it imperative that you eat chicken. Meat will speed up your recovery. You also don't have any basmati rice." She said, sitting on the little room provided on the sofa by his hips.
"Erm, there's an Indian store half a block away." Orlando said, thinking. "You can get some there."
"I'll be back." Raya smiled genuinely, kissing Orlando on the lips.
"I'm half expecting her to curtsy and drink tea with her little pinky sticking up." Dom replied after she'd left.
"She's very proper, yes. I can't blame her though, apparently her boarding school was for girls, teaching them the finer points of being high-living women." Orlando said.
"Teaching a whole new level of socialites, one girl at a time." Dom commented, shaking his head gravely.
"She's not as dull as she seems you know. She's quite brilliant seeing that she has A-Levels in Business Management and Accounting." Orlando said defensively. "And another one in Theatre."
"She likes acting?" Dom replied. "Her? She looks like she'd belong on East Enders."
"She loves acting, but does this whole business thing because of her father. A lovely man, quite bumbling really, but lovely just the same." Orlando replied.
They discussed the finer points of hobbit makeup as opposed to elven make up until they heard screeching tires and a slammed door outside.
"Wretched Jimmy Choos." Said a rather disgruntled Raya. The man driving the vehicle, having not seen her struggling to get her shoe out of an oddly placed manhole covering slammed on his brakes only to have his car end up inches from hitting her.
"I'm terribly sorry ma'am!" He said his Scottish brogue ringing clearly. "If I didn't see you flail your arms... I'm sure you would have been close friends with my tires."
Raya gave him a weak laugh. "Raya, Raya Scott-Spencer." She said, introducing herself.
"Billy Boyd." He replied. "I don't have the honor of being hyphenated, so, i'm just Billy Boyd." He looked around her. "Is this your rice? Where are you headed? I'll carry it in for you."
"That condo right there." Raya replied.
"You know Orlando?" Billy asked. She nodded, looking at him curiously. "Why?"
He put two and two together. "You're his woman!"
She looked at him, now confused. "Right..." She started walking off with her now completely distorted Jimmy Choos in her hand.
Dom opened the door to them both. "What happened? We heard screeching tires!"
"I almost ran over Orlando's woman, no problem at all." Billy said, following Raya into the kitchen, setting the rice bag down on the counter. He was apparently shooed away.
Raya had her back to the breakfast counter as she cooked the rice, and added more spices to the chicken. "So I see you've met Billy." Orlando said.
"What are you doing up? Shouldn't you be lying down?" She asked, worriedly.
"Don't worry about me. I need to move around or else I'll go bananas." Orlando replied. "It smells good in here, what are you making?"
"A little Indian dish that they would always give to those that are healing." Raya replied. "And why does that amusing Billy fellow constantly call me 'your woman'?"
"You don't like to be called my woman? Because I'd like to think you are, unless you wouldn't want to be my woman, of course."
“Sit down, Orlando. Go lie down or something, you standing up is making me quite nervous.” Raya said, gently swatting him away. Had Raya not been dressed up the way she always was, she would be mistaken for a housewife.
Orlando, Dominic and Billy were previously screaming at the television, seeing the Manchester game end in defeat. The following movie was essentially a crier so they were flipping channels when Raya came in with a bowl of her Indian concoction. “Eat up…my nanny made this for me when I used to live in Bombay.”
‘When we used to live in Bombay.’ Dom muttered to himself, making a face. He took a bite and found it quite good. He decided to stay silent the rest of the night.
Dominic and Billy left after eating their meal, leaving Raya doing dishes in the kitchen. Orlando, feeling somewhat unproductive, stood up to go and help her. “Raya…let me help, please?” He asked, trying to add some sort of pleading in his voice.
“Nonsense.” She replied, putting the dishes in the dishwasher before working on the pots.
Orlando managed to push himself in front of Raya, blocking her from the sink. “Oh, come on, Raya… you came here on your own, and I don’t want you to spend your time waiting on me…though I do like it.” Orlando replied. “So… leave these pots for, say…Dom.”
“What do you suggest we do now, then?” Raya asked, reaching for a paper towel to dry her hands. She looked at him, with her hands on her hips as he searched for an answer.
“You could give me a bath.” Orlando replied. “Or join me for one.”
“Then… let’s get the bath water running.” Raya said with a smile.