Chapter 3 ~*~ Le premier disaccord ~*~
Orlando stumbled in to his house, laughing slightly to himself. He seemed more pleased with himself, seeing Raya was asleep. He slept fitfully throughout the night. The next morning brought about a sickeningly strong headache. He reached over to Raya’s spot felt that she wasn’t there, and groaned as he tried to go back to sleep.
When hunger finally conquered, he trudged slowly into the kitchen where he saw Raya eating jellied toast. Seeing him, she immediately put her food down and stared. Orlando put a weak smile on. He seemed just a bit too hungover to notice that Raya was oddly more cool and composed than usual.
“Where were you last night?” She asked, her voice dangerously quiet.
“Long day filming and then a few drinks after.” He replied.
“Lies.” Raya responded.
“What? They are not!” He said firmly, rubbing his temples at the loud noise. He looked at Raya who was still staring at him, not with the compassion she showed for him weeks earlier when she arrived.
“Dom called telling me you had a short day and he was asking for me to call you and tell you they were going out. Your mobile was off. Your trailer phone wasn’t responding. So, I’d just given up.” Raya replied, her voice stonily calm.
Orlando stammered. “I met up with them, eventually.”
“So can you explain how you met her?” Raya asked.
Orlando swore to himself. How would she have found out? He made sure there was no lipstick on his collar or any of that nature. “Who?”
“Don’t be a daft prick. That perfume that you were wearing when you came in last night definitely was not mine.” Raya replied. Orlando did not meet her eyes. And suddenly she’d lost her cool. “How fucking dare you! I didn’t have to come here! I didn’t have to fucking help you recuperate. I didn’t have to give up my fucking job by complaining to my father to be with your bloody cheating self! I’m leaving, I don’t give a shit about you right now.”
Orlando felt his blood boil. “Nobody asked you to come here, you bitch! I didn’t need your help either! And don’t tell me about how you gave up your fucking job for ME. So go on and leave! LEAVE!” He watched Raya just walk straight out the door before sinking onto the floor and swearing at himself, tears falling because of physical and emotional pain.
Raya walked, and she didn’t know where she was going either, she just kept going. When a car pulled up to the side, she didn’t stop to entertain them. “Raya, it’s Billy. Where are you headed?”
The driver finally said.
Raya stopped, her immaculate face tearstained and haggard. “Nowhere, Billy. Nowhere.”
“Raya! What happened? Come on, I’ll take you to my place. Viggo is there, I don’t think you’ve met him, but he’s heard a great deal about you. We’re going to help you.” Billy said, his usual cheery voice now full of concern.
Raya sat, trying to become stoic on the way to Billy’s apartment. She followed him quietly up the stairs and into a furnished living room where a much taller rugged man was sitting on the sofa. “Vig, this is Raya.”
“Raya! So glad to finally meet you, I’ve- what happened?” He asked, seeing her face.
Raya sat on an armchair and told her story without shedding a tear. “I was looking forward to telling him that I told my father that I would no longer be spokesperson…that I’d have more time to spend with him.”
Billy tensed as she told the story. “But why would he do that? Go out with some scarlet woman when all he’s given you was a good word on the set? He’s been raving mad about you.”
“That doesn’t really help right now, Billy.” Raya replied, dabbing at her eyes. “It’s really not what I want to hear.”
Raya stayed at Billy’s long after Viggo left. Billy, not knowing her well enough, and being somewhat intimidated at the moment, left her alone to watch television. He sat at the kitchen counter, reading over lines when the phone rang. It rang several times before the answering machine picked up. “Billy, Billy…it’s Orly. Have you seen—“ Billy sprung to the phone, hoping Raya hadn’t heard.
“What the hell did you do?” Billy blurted out before stopping himself.
“Raya’s there, isn’t she?” Orlando asked suddenly. “I’m coming right over.” Billy heard the phone slam down. Sighing, he walked out to check on Raya to see what she was up to. He saw her curled in a fetal position on the large sofa, the light of the TV reflecting onto her face. Grabbing his tartan blanket, he covered her up.
There was loud knocking at his door, and he was sure that Raya would awake from that ruckus. Billy opened the door. “Where is she? Is she alright?”
“No, before you come in, you have me to answer to. She’s been sitting her for the last four hours, crying on me and Viggo about you.” Billy said sharply. Orlando was surprised to see Billy this way, having only seen Billy as a joking actor.
“Billy, I don’t want to argue with you, just let me talk to Raya, please.” Orlando pleaded. Billy sighed and let him through to Raya who was now awake. She looked at him, and rather than saying something she slapped him, hard. “I deserved that.”
“So…then, what do you have to say for yourself?” Raya asked, sternly. Billy left, although stayed enough to be in earshot.
“I’m sorry wouldn’t cut it with you. You deserve more than that.” Orlando said, scooping her into his arms. He held her tightly until she succumbed and returned his embrace. A stray tear ran down his face. “I’m just afraid.”
“Afraid of what?” Raya asked, feeling his chest rise and fall.
“That I’m not good enough.” Orlando replied softly. “And then you go on and tell me these things that you did for me, and I just… you shouldn’t be with me. That’s why I think I did what I did.”
“Orlando,” Raya started, “you can’t just run from every problem if you want us to work. I would, if I could…but you would have probably never seen me again.”
“You don’t need to see me again, Raya. Someone like you, you need someone who can buy you nice things and treat you like a princess on a pedestal all the time.” Orlando said, voice still soft, remorseful.
Billy couldn’t take this. “Orlando! You stupid idiot! She’s got enough money to buy half of London nice things! She doesn’t need to be placed on a damn pedestal. She needs someone like you! Someone with problems! Someone from a broken home! Someone…someone that’s her opposite.”
“Thank you Billy, that will suffice.” Raya said, smiling kindly at him. Orlando was looking at Billy with a mixture of shock and gratitude. “So…”
”So…” He sighed. “I think we owe Billy our relationship.”
“He’ll be getting quite an expensive watch for Christmas.” Raya replied, putting a hand in Orlando’s severely chopped curls. ”Come now… we’re both terribly messy.”
Orlando got up first, helping Raya to her feet. Leading her out just as Dom and Viggo came back in, he gave them weak smiles. Once they left in Orlando’s car, Dom finally spoke. “Does anyone here think she’s too controlling?”
“She’s got to be, she’s dealing with Orlando.” Viggo replied.
Orlando was silent the entire drive to his condo. Even ascending the steps, they were quiet. He looked at himself in the mirror, eyes puffy and red, skin pasty. Raya pulled him away from the mirror and kissed him on the nose.
“Would it be wrong if I told you that I think I’m falling for you?” Orlando asked. “Considering the circumstances?”
“Only if you don’t mean it.” She replied as he pulled her closer to him.
“Then I suppose, we’ll be fine.” Orlando said with a smile pulling at the corners of his lips. He kissed her instead.
They both knew make up sex was good, but after this incident, it was bittersweet because they vowed never to have make-up sex again…despite the fact this continued well into the next morning…several minutes before Orlando had to leave for the set.