Chapter 7 ~*~ The very fortunate Mr. Spencer ~*~

With the reshooting under their belts, Orlando and Raya flew back to England on the first plane possible. Orlando had not yet been able to settle having lived out of a suitcase for quite some time. He settled at Raya’s which had far too many rooms to begin with.

Orlando was drinking his morning tea, Raya still not yet awake when Mr. Spencer came down the stairs dressed in a suit. “Orlando, I trust your career is going well?”

“We premiere in December.” Orlando said proudly. “In New Zealand, which, I hope Raya won’t be too busy to attend, Mr. Spencer?”

“I’ll make a note of it.” He said, rather boyishly. “And do call me Richard. It’s nice to know there are still people with manners.” Orlando found his company to be very amusing and, if in the slightest, quite comfortable. “So how are you and Raya? Can I expect a wedding from you soon?”

“When we’re ready, yes.” Orlando replied after much thought. “We’ve talked about it, but I haven’t gotten the balls to do it yet.”

“Balls to do what?” Raya asked, coming down the stairs, in her nightie. Orlando stared. “Good morning daddy.” She said, kissing her father on the cheek. “Have you had your ginko yet?”

“Ah! I knew I wasn’t up to speed.” He said as she handed him a tablet. “Thank you Raya, dear.”

“So, where is Mrs. Spencer?” Orlando asked.

“Ms. Scott, Orlando.” Raya replied. “She’s in the French Riviera, vacationing, again. I told her not to, if she wanted to keep her skin soft and smooth instead of leathery brown.” Raya sat in her chair, tying her unusually unruly curls up as she picked up a fork.

Orlando looking into the bowl, saw an unusual platter. “What exactly is that?” He asked. “Curry for breakfast?”

Raya snorted into her food. She was apparently quite different in the mornings, less caring about appearances that is. “Orlando, it’s not ‘curry’ that’s too general. It’s Rajma Pakodas, from Punjab.”

“Her favorite dish as a child.” Richard noted. “That was all she would eat.” He took a bit with his fork much to Raya’s dismay.

“Try some, you’ll like it.” Raya said, offering her fork, full of food, to Orlando.

“Oh so you let him eat off of your plate?” Richard teased. Raya wrinkled her nose at her father as Orlando helped himself to the food.

“That definitely isn’t curry.” Orlando said chewing through his food. “It’s so much better.”

Raya looked at him with great pride. “Good, my last boyfriend joined us for dinner, and of course, it’s always Indian, didn’t eat a thing.”

“Really?” Orlando asked, picking up his fork to get some more.

“Yes, he was disposed of immediately.” Raya replied. “And what do you think you’re doing?”

Orlando looked up and gave her a cheeky grin. “Em…getting more?”

“Ha, go get your own.” Raya said, curling up in her chair and eating her food. “So, daddy, what do you plan on doing today?”

“I’m going onto the green to meet Mr. Tanaka. Will you and Orlando be going to Japan any time soon?” Richard asked. Raya looked at Orlando, who was busy getting rajma pakodas from the frying pan.

“Erm, not till the premiere in January.” Orlando answered.

“That sounds about right. Could you get Mr. Tanaka and his family tickets?” Richard asked.

“Probably. I am given quite a lot.” Orlando shrugged.

“Oh, this will be lovely, Raya. With you and Orlando traveling out of the pocket of someone else, I’ll save money and get my dealings done!” He said clapping his hands. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go and sort out Greece.”

“Remember to drink your tea at noon.” Raya said, not looking up from her plate. She stood up and stood across from Orlando, who was leaning against the kitchen counter and eating. “What are we going to do today?”

“Well,” He said, swallowing what was in his mouth. “I thought we could give going at it like rabbits a rest. Want to go to Hyde Park?”

“That would be lovely, perhaps the queen would be strolling with Prince William.” Raya said, rather cryptically.

“And how would this be lovely?” Orlando asked, eyebrow raised.

“Because I can get to see your jealous face.” Raya smirked. “Now if you want to go…you better bathe.”

“Not unless you draw the bath.” Orlando laughed, chasing her up the stairs.

An hour later and they were still in the bath. “You know, I could take a bath forever. You’re quite soft.” Orlando said, resting his head against the side of the tub.

“Yes, and we’re getting very waterlogged.” Raya replied. “Very.”

Orlando examined his fingers. “Hmm, so we are. Another hour should do us good. I’ll be ready by then.”

They were no longer waterlogged by the time they got out of the bath and to Hyde Park. Raya again was underdressed, seeing as she didn’t want to get stares from the bums. “So, Raya, back to our talk from a while ago…you said you want to have kids?”

“A whole litter of them.” Raya replied. “Probably because I was a semi-only child.”

“Semi?” Orlando asked. “Oh right, half-sister.” He held Raya’s hand as they walked through the different people picnicking, frolicking and chasing after their own little children.

“What about you?” Raya asked.

“Four sounds right.” Orlando said, watching the swans in the nearby lake. “All girls.”

“All girls?” Raya asked. “Are you insane? Do you know how much more expensive girls are?”

“I know that you’re priceless.” Orlando replied. Raya smiled at this and kissed him on the cheek.

“You’re so damn suave.” Raya laughed. “How do you do it?”

“I practice.” Orlando said, touching her nose ever so lightly with his finger.

They spent the summer, and later the fall in England, both looking for work. Well Raya anyway, Orlando was practically given scripts. “This is a little unsettling.” Raya said on one late November evening.

“I’m sure you’ll get something love.” Orlando replied, kissing her forehead. “Come on, we have to pack.”

“Good lord, I forgot!” Raya said, springing to her feet, leaving behind the table of mail.

“What are you going to pack? Will you pack…pack…them?” Orlando asked, picking up what seemed to be just a bunch of sheer cloth tied together. He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

“You go ahead and pack it in your bag.” Raya laughed. “It’ll be summer there right?”

“Yes, but we’re premiering everywhere.” Orlando said. “All over, and even on the Northern Hemisphere, love.” He said, packing more and more of Raya’s unmentionables himself into her designated Coach bag.

“Will Liberty be coming along? I would love to see how things with her and Dom are going.”

“You called him Dom.” Orlando said with a grin.

“-inic.” Raya added. “Have you talked to them lately?”

“Dom, yes. He’s fine, but I don’t know if they’ve talked recently.” Orlando replied. “Where is this conversation going?”

“Hmm, do you want the Orlando response, or my response?” Raya asked, putting some dresses in their proper bag.

“The Orlando response, please.” He replied, sitting on Raya’s rather spacious bed.

“Hmm, this conversation is going into your pants.” Raya replied.

“Ding!” Orlando grinned. “You win a sexually frustrated man from Kent.”

Raya shook her head. “Let me finish packing first, you nympho.”