Chapter 8 ~*~ Sunshine on a Cloud Day ~*~

Raya slept in as Orlando filmed several shots before reliving Helm’s Deep. When he returned home, curls tousled and looking rather exhausted, Raya was standing over the stove making more of her favorite Indian meals. “That’s how I like my woman, standing over the stove.” Orlando said, greeting her with a hand around her waist and a kiss on the cheek.

“Your ‘woman’ looks very close to putting extra spicy chillies into the pot.” Raya joked.

“Yes, but the ‘woman’ knows that having her man that she loves dearly and with all her heart hacking on the floor is not desired.” He said, going through the mail. “I believe, Raya darling, that this letter is for you.”

Turning off the stove before skipping merrily to Orlando’s delight, she opened the quite large envelope and gasped. “My god! I got the part to be in this indie-film!”

Orlando dropped everything, “You’re serious?”

“Dead serious!” She said grasping the contract in her hand. “Oh my God…Orlando, dammit!”

“What?” He asked, suddenly growing concerned.

“I have to be there in two days to meet the cast and get my agent to look at the contract!” Raya said, running to the bedroom. “What am I going to pack?! This isn’t enough planning time!”

Orlando laughed and calmed her down. “Relax, I’ll pick two outfits for you, four different pairs of shoes can go along, and only ONE bag, Raya. ONE. You’ll only be gone for two days.” Raya sat on the foot of the bed, her arms at her side looking straight ahead in shock. “So is this an end to your pursuit of fashion design?”

“I don’t know. I could do both.” Raya replied. “But if I find that I don’t like it, then I’ll probably just end up doing fashion. I can negotiate a great deal.”

“Yeah, like you manage to negotiate me out of my pants.” Orlando grinned. He was silent as he looked through Raya’s things for the perfect outfit.

“Pick something that you want other people to see me in. Not what YOU want me in.” Raya added. Orlando made a face and took the other dress out of her suitcase.

“Wait, if you’re leaving tomorrow…you can’t pick up Liberty!” Orlando said with disdain just as the phone rang. Raya concluded it was Elijah somehow, probably telepathically, and began packing her own clothes. Orlando spotted her as he listened in and immediately ran to take out the large quantity of tops she just shoved in.

“But what if I want to wear this?” She asked, pointing to a plain blouse. Orlando shook his head and put it back onto its hanger.

He hung up with Elijah, and looked at Raya. “How long exactly is this meeting?”

“Hours, max.” Raya replied, collapsing dramatically on the bed. “I don’t plan to overnight.”

“Then what’s with the luggage?” Orlando asked, now scratching his head confusedly.

“Well obviously I’m not going to the meeting smelling like an aeroplane.” Raya replied. “That’s just…vile.”

Orlando shook his head, smiling with amusement. “I challenge thee, milady, to pack into this,” he pointed to a rather small carry-on Coach bag, “one day’s worth of clothes, no shoes, and your handbag will be your only makeup compartment.”

Raya, blinking slightly, shrugged. “I’ll just bring more stuff from my place then.”

Orlando threw up his hands in defeat and walked into the kitchen. “Light packing is impossible with you.”

In the wee hours of the morning, Orlando found himself driving Raya to the airport, after desperately trying to make her miss her flight with some unmentionable activities in their condo. He decided to give up going back to his place and slept in the trailer till call time.

“Hey, elf-boy, look alive.” Viggo said, before medievally chewing on a piece of bread. Orlando looked up and grinned weakly. “Jeez, Orly, you and Raya really need to stop having sex, you’re losing all your focus.”

“Who’s losing focus during sex?” Billy asked. “Orlando? I’m thoroughly ashamed in you. And after all the good things Raya’s said.”

“No, no no. I’m saying that he’s losing his actors’ focus because of it.” Viggo explained.

“But why would he lose his focus when he’s got all that emotion working with him?” Billy asked.

“Because then it’ll be all he’s thinking about.” Viggo answered. “You see… when two people—“

“GUYS… two questions, why are you having this conversation? And TWO why are you having this conversation and acting like I’m not in front of you?” Orlando asked rather calmly.

Billy and Viggo looked at Orlando earnestly. Viggo opened his mouth as though he was about to speak, thought about it, and then shrugged. “Lovely explanation, Vig.”

Orlando found himself sitting, staring into space during break when Dom approached him. “Feeling lonely?” Dom asked.

“Yup.” He answered meekly. “You?”

“Couldn’t be worse.” Dom replied matter-of-factly, putting his hands in the pockets of his costume.

“Want a beer?” Orlando asked, as though it was the greatest idea in the world.

“When we can wallow in our misery?” Dom asked, grinning at him. “Give me a cold one.” He said in his best American accent. “So, where is, your, er, Raya? Wasn’t she just here?” Orlando handed him a beer, and seeing that he didn’t answer, his eyes widened. “My GOD! She didn’t leave you did she?”

“Don’t be stupid, Dominic.” Said the voice of a looming Scotsmen.

“Jeez! Why do you always manage to do that?” Dom said, after spitting out his beer.

“I’ll teach you one day.” Billy replied. “But in the mean time, I’ll just take a beer even though I’m obviously not a part of the ‘my-love-is-miles-and-miles-away’ club.”

*

Orlando found it very relieving to kill a few orcs on the set, it took the mind off of waiting for Raya to come home. He slashed a few and shot some CG arrows, trying to muster his best ‘stealth’ look. After a good hour of pretending to kick some orc ass, he sat down in his chair, the makeup people running to wipe off the sweat.

“You know, Orlando, I’ve always fancied that wig.” He heard a distinctly rich British voice. He turned around seeing Raya smiling at him behind her sunglasses.

“You know, it’s dark in here.” Orlando grinned, standing up and giving her a kiss on the cheek and hugging her. “So, how did it go?”

“The shoot’s relatively short, about two weeks. It’ll be after we’re done with your reshooting business, and it’s in England.” Raya replied. Noting that Orlando still hadn’t let go, she tapped him on the shoulder.

He grinned at her sheepishly. “So, how is everything?” He resorted back to his usual position whenever with Raya, his arm around her waist.

“It’s well.” Raya replied. “Anaka’s here. I’ve had Dominic and Lib drop her off.”

“She’s with someone isn’t she?” Orlando asked curiously. He met Anaka several times before, and each time, he noted that Raya would grip onto him very tightly, though less and less each time.

“Erm, she’s on the rebound.” Raya replied. “Don’t worry your pretty elven head. I’ve given Liberty a fair warning.”

Orlando thought about this before thinking of a come back. “But…she hasn’t had the full Anaka experience. She might be…erm, withering or something.”

“Don’t be silly. Liberty can’t wither, she told me what moisturizer she uses, and it’s quite reliable.” She said, patting his arm. “And anyway, I worked too hard to get those two together. If there is anything gone awry, there will some serious hell to pay.”

“This side of you is exceedingly sexy.” Orlando said with a soft murmur.

Raya smirked, kissing his cheek. “How many times have I told you, not in public?” She spent the rest of the day on the set, watching Orlando admirably kill off orcs. Within two hours, his wig was off, and his curly black locks back, and exactly the way she wanted them. “As much as I love the blonde…the curls are much more fun to as…I believe Sir Toby said in Twelfth Night:’I hope to see a housewife take thee between her legs and spin it off.’”

“You’re not a housewife.” Orlando mused, as they got into his car.

“We can always pretend.” Raya grinned.

They arrived at their condo, opening the door quite widely when Orlando spotted Anaka sitting on the couch in nothing but her slip. “GOOD LORD!” He said, burying his eyes on Raya’s shoulder.

Raya looked at Anaka with disdain. “Good lord indeed.”

Orlando pulled her into the kitchen. Dom, seeing this leaned towards Anaka. “Lover’s quarrel. I’ve never seen them have one, but I suppose it would be fun.”

“Your best friend is in there hitting on my mate who HAS a girl!” Orlando said, rather irately. “Why aren’t you going in there and ripping her deathlike grip off of him?”

“Because you’re keeping me here.” Raya replied, kissing his nose.

“Oh.” He replied, touching his nose, with a confused look on his face. “Right.”

With Raya yelling at Dominic in the kitchen and Orlando hiding his face behind a pillow as he managed to talk Anaka into wearing some form of clothing, it seemed that things were getting as close to normal humanly possible when Dom was involved.