Chapter 6 ~*~ Matchmaker, make me a match ~*~

"Raya, silly question, if I may." Orlando said as he drove them back to the hotel.

"Silly question? What are you trying to get at, Bloom?" Raya asked, looking at him, a smile on her face.

"Your skirt, but I digress." He said, putting his free hand on hers. "Why do you like to play matchmaker? Since I've met you, you've gotten three of my mates together, happily I might add. Stever's gone and eloped."

“Eloped?” She asked happily. “Why that’s lovely! I knew that he and that lovely Laurel girl were perfect for each other.”

“You’re not answering my question, love.” Orlando mused. “Is it because you love seeing two people happy together?”

“No. Actually it isn’t, though you’d think it was.” Raya replied rather cryptically. At a stop, Orlando turned to her and pouted, his bottom lower lip sticking out. “Oh fine...”

“I knew from the moment I met you that you couldn’t resist my charms.” Orlando grinned as he advanced through the streets.

Raya gave a laugh before thinking of how to perfectly word her explanation. “It’s because… I have the power to complete someone’s soul, or ruin it completely.”

“That’s…er… really…You’re just power tripping.” Orlando concluded.

“But it’s so much fun! And I love dressing people up, making them glamorous.” Raya added, rather excitedly.

After reaching the hotel they made their way into the lobby, his arm around her waist. “So, basically, you like to let other girls be the pretty, pretty princess?”

“In those terms, yes.” Raya replied, Orlando’s hand tracing circles on her hip. “And one silly question from my end.”

“Yes, Raya?” Orlando asked, looking at her.

“Where on EARTH did you get that pout?” Raya asked with mock disdain.

Orlando woke up the next morning, left to his own devices, a note left on the pillow next to him. “Entertain yourself while I go marry off your mates.” Orlando laughed at reading the last line aloud. He spent most of the day lying in bed, really not feeling any urge to get up at all, until he received a call from what sounded like a very shopped-out Raya.

“Orlando…” She said. “I’m in Liv’s car, where are you?”

“Still in bed, your side smells nice.” Orlando mused into the telephone.

“Still in bed, hmm?” Raya repeated. “Erm, why don’t you get ready to go over to Sean’s in about two hours? You’re going to love what we’re going to do to Liberty.”

“You’re not going to do reconstructive surgery are you?” Orlando joked. “Because I know that you know people.”

“Oh god no, my mother’s doctors are no place for a lovely girl like her.” Raya replied. “Just be at Sean’s alright love?”

Raya turned to Liv who was pretending to focus intently on the road. “So, how are you and Orlando doing? Is he being a good little boy?”

“As opposed to what?” Liberty asked. “I can’t imagine him not, or whatever.”

Raya cleared her throat. “Of course he is, he’s been housebroken you know.” She grinned at her little joke. “So, Liberty, care to tell me why Dom?”

“Raya…” Liv said with feigned warning. She sounded more amused than worried about her retorts.

“Why not? He’s funny and makes me laugh.” Liberty said, sounding very confident in her answers. “And he can do crazy accents.”

“Robin Williams can do all those things, I don’t see you carousing with him.” Raya said quickly.

“You forgot to say that you think he’s hot.” Liv added, pulling into Sean’s driveway.

“Well, to each her own.” Raya answered with a rather enigmatic smile.

“Why, you don’t like Dom or something?” Liberty asked, getting out of the car with several bags, at least one belonging to each of the girls.

“It’s not that I don’t like him, we’ve just never been more than acquaintances. Like…erm, in-laws are perhaps.” Raya replied. “And besides, I have my Orly to dote on, why add extra time with other men?”

“You’re very particular on Billy.” Liberty said, noting a point in last night’s dinner where Raya and Billy were talking and laughing, quite loudly, about his surfing experiences.

“Well Billy’s a children’s story for another day.” Raya replied. “You’ll know it eventually.”

“Liv, what is she talking about?” Liberty asked, as Raya set up the make up on Christine’s makeup counter.

“Can’t tell.” Liv said quickly. “Sworn to secrecy.”

Having Liberty dolled up, Raya felt a surge of pride seeing a completed work of what she called human art. “You look absolutely lovely. This reminds me of when my assistants were dressing me in this beautiful white dress with a ruffled hem and neckline down to here.” She said, pointing at her lower chest. “For me and Orlando’s first date…it was absolutely lovely.”

“Do you ever call him Orly?” Liberty asked, watching Raya sweep her curls back away from her face and down her again bare back.

“Yes, but you can figure out when and why.” Raya replied, adjusting her top. She heard Orlando say something about his woman downstairs. “Agh, I hate when he does that.”

“Does what?” Liv asked, walking out with her.

She put her hands upon her hips, “I detest being called your ‘woman’, Bloom.”

“What about my bitch?” Orlando asked, using a cheeky and charming grin, visibly softening Raya’s face.

“Orlando,” She said, tapping her foot, though hiding a laugh. She descended the stairs, smiling at the now present Dom with pride in her…creation.

“Are you prepared for what you’re about to see?” She asked a nervous looking Dom. She wondered if he was nervous because of the date or because of her sudden nicety. She concluded in her head as she waited for an answer, that it was both.

“Um…yes I believe I am, Raya.” He replied.

Orlando watched Dom with great interest. Since he’d known him, Orlando’s never seen him with a girl. He shook this all off once Raya stepped away from the ‘spotlight’ and took his arm, waiting in earnest for Liberty.

He watched, with amusement, Dom slightly weaken. He whispered into Raya’s ear, “You do that to me too.”

“Shhh.” She replied. “There are thirty crucial seconds into seeing whether or not this relationship will work.” Orlando grinned, and put his arm around Raya once more.

Their audience watched them leave with great interest. Raya sighed, “Well, I think that was quite successful.”

“Yes, you’ll have them married in a week tops.” He said, Raya hitting his arm playfully in return. “Come on, love, you’re wearing far too much.”

Christine eyed Raya’s sleek black top. After Orlando and Raya left, she leaned over to Sean and said, “I think Orlando might have inclinations to being a nudist if he thought Raya was overdressed.”

“Orlando always thinks Raya’s overdressed.” Sean replied, laughing at his wife’s observation.

It wasn’t long till Orlando had to leave for New Zealand again, and this time Raya would be going with them. Not so much as on vacation, as she wished, her father was expanding the company again and he needed a pretty face to go with the offer.

It was decided that their last night before the big trip to New Zealand should be celebrated at Elijah’s. Seeing that Sean’s had been ‘partied-out’ as Billy said. Viggo was the night’s cook, making a wide array of entrees for them to all pick at. Elijah’s rather small loveseat was taken by Orlando and Raya with Dom sitting next to Billy in the sofa. They were chatting idly about the reshoot, and they seemed clearly excited.

Elijah glanced over to Orlando and Raya, “Hey! OB, hands where I can see them.” He said jokingly.

Orlando raised his hands in cheeky defeat. “We weren’t doing anything, yet.” He grinned and kissed Raya on her jaw. The two sat together quietly, mostly listening in on what everyone had to say.

“Excuse me, Orlando, love, I need to use the loo.” She said, taking her purse. Opening the door once she was done, she took advantage of the large sink to empty out her purse, searching for her French hairspray. Shaking it, she sprayed it just as Dom entered. “Shit.” Was Raya’s response when Dom yelled.

“AHH! What the HELL IS THAT?!” Dom shouted, rubbing his eyes blindly. Orlando showed up several moments later, with Billy (who was quite interested any time Dom screamed bloody murder).

Raya sprayed a bit on her hair to keep it in place and then some of her “signature” perfume, Orlando’s favorite if it needed mentioning again, before looking at Dom. “It’s French hair spray.”

“Is it supposed to STING?” Dom asked frantically, searching blindly for the faucets.

“Oh quit being a baby.” Raya said, putting her supplies back into her purse except for eye drops. “I just didn’t have it aimed correctly.”

“At least it doesn’t smell like cheap hairspray.” Orlando said.

“Yeah, and hasn’t been tested on animals either.” Billy added. “Up until now, anyway.”

Raya’s patience had been tested. “Dominic Monaghan, stop right this instant so that I can get these bloody drops in.” She said quickly. Sighing as he made his way to the stair case for her to properly put them in, he was still complaining.

“I think I’m blind! I can’t see! Oh GOD! I can’t see!” He said, quite overdramatically done.

“Why Dom, I never knew you could do Shakespearean tragedies.” Orlando mused. “And Raya’s always prepared. She’s sprayed me quite a few times on accident, the drops feel quite lovely.”

“Accident?!” Dom yelled. Raya couldn’t take this and pried his left eye open and squeezed in two drops. Doing the same to the other, Dom stopped wriggling.

“Like dealing with a child.” Raya muttered slipping the eye-drops in her purse. Orlando put an arm around her, and kissed her hair.

Dom sat on the staircase blinking several times, noting that all of the pain was gone. He looked up at Billy who was grinning cheekily at him. “Well, that went well, I think.”

Dom groaned. He looked at Orlando and Raya who were standing by the food table, feeding each other. “Look at that, look at them!” Dom said. “How could they flaunt their relationship in front of ME when my girlfriend is hundreds of miles away?”

“Well, unless you and Liberty have been together for perhaps, almost a year and a half, like they have, then I suppose it’s not unfair at all. They’re at the stage after the ‘I love you’s’ but before ‘engagement/marital bliss.’” Billy said sagely.

Dom looked at him curiously. “You’ve been watching Oprah again haven’t you?”

“And what would you do if I said yes?” Billy asked, skipping away, ready to try Viggo’s Chicken Pad Thai.

Orlando stayed up the whole night with Raya, not having sex, as much, as most people thought, but just talking and staying in the other’s complete attention. Orlando’s back was acting up again, so they found themselves on the floor, Raya gently kneading his back.

“Would you have gone out with me had I asked you sooner?” Orlando asked Raya, who was taking a break by daintily sipping champagne.

“How would you have met me?” Raya asked, confused. She traced a hand over Orlando’s scar before resuming his massage.

“You never noticed a dark haired bloke walking past your gates?” Orlando asked.

“Many dark haired blokes walk past my gates. They’re called bums.” Raya replied. “And besides, it was better off that we met the way we did. If we met the other way, through the gate, if you will, I would have thought you were a lunatic.”

Orlando laughed. “How is your father?” He asked, knowing her relationship to him was close.

“Good, he’s been improving his golf while doing business contracts.” Raya replied, amusedly. “He called some time ago, asking me to do some predetermined poses for new adverts.”

“Raya, would you have children?” Orlando asked suddenly. He felt Raya’s hands leave his back. He turned slowly to look up at her.

“Are you asking whether I’d have children? Or have your children?” She asked. “You need to specify, Bloom.” Orlando could see a little mischief in her eyes as she said this.

“Well we’ll take the first question.” Orlando replied.

“Of course.” Raya replied. “And I’d have more if the father was a handsome man.” She toyed with her champagne glass.

“Handsome like me?” Orlando grinned.

“No, like your uncle.” Raya said, rolling her eyes. Orlando pouted and things were silent until he pounced.

That morning, after two hours of sleep, Raya seemed less put together. In a pair of what looked like custom-made jeans made by none other than Versace herself, it was the first time Orlando had actually seen her in jeans. She wore a corseted peasant top and rather flat Jimmy Choos. “Dressed down today are we, cowboy?” Orlando asked Raya, who was wearing sunglasses and a fashionable straw hat.

“Ha.” Raya said weakly. “So sue me. The effort just wasn’t in me this morning.”

As they made their way onto the plane, a distinctly Scottish voice was heard saying “She’s wearing jeans and flip flops! She IS human!”