Always Be Here

By: dawnenab

folder Lord of the Rings Movies › General › Lord of the Ring Stars

Rating: Adult ++

Chapters: 18

Views: 5,282

Reviews: 101

Recommended: 0

Currently Reading: 0

Category: Lord of the Rings Movies › General › Lord of the Ring Stars

Rating: Adult ++

Chapters: 18

Views: 5,282

Reviews: 101

Recommended: 0

Currently Reading: 0

Disclaimer: This is work of fiction! I do not know the celebrity(ies) I am writing about, and I do not profit from these writings.

Chapter 13

I'm going to take my time
I have all the time in the world
To make you
mine
It is written in the stars above
The gods decree
You'll be right
here by my side
Right next to me
You can run, but you cannot
hide

Don't say you want me
Don't say you need me
Don't say you love
me
It's understood
Don't say you're happy
Out there without me
I
know you can't be
'cause it's no good

~Depeche
Mode

Chapter 13

Friday 5:00 A.M.
(Morocco)

I was right about dreaming of her. The make-up tech
must think I never sleep. This is the third morning I’ve shown up with these
dark circles under my eyes. I love the irony of the situation; baby’s literally
glowing after two days here, and I’m beginning to look like the walking dead.
Thank God for the make-up people. I’m now walking out of the trailer closely
resembling a member of the human race. Baby looked adorable when I checked on
her before I left, but I must have been really tired or something, cause I swear
it looked like she wasn’t wearing a shirt. Took an hour for me to shake that
image once it crossed my mind. Her silky blonde hair was quite tosseled, making
her even more appealing. The rose I left for her was lying on her bedside table,
petals intact, so I assume she’s not that mad at me. Better get over to
wardrobe.

6:30 A.M.

There’s that chap-Bryan, innit?
- over there. Damn. I should go apologize to him. He likely thinks I’m a huge
blighter. I know I would in his shoes. It’ll be a bit embarrassing but I do owe
him the courtesy.

Walking over to him, I introduce myself and proceed to
tell him how sorry I am about everything that happened yesterday. He’s really a
nice bloke, just as baby said and he seems to buy the whole bit about everyone
having a bad day once in awhile. He was here for the original filming which is
why I recognized him as one of the crew. He tells me about the club that he and
baby went to; it sounds pretty cool, though he does ask if she’s ok. Says she
wasn’t having a very good time at all, and that he was concerned that she might
be ill, mentioning her absence this morning as if to validate his point. I’m
about to tell him that she should be here soon when I see her walking toward us.

She’s wearing one of those little tank tops-the kind with the little straps
at the shoulders? - and the kind of faded, low-slung jeans that are popular
right now. The jeans sit very low on her hips, baring her tummy. It’s very sexy.
She’s pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and a few wisps of hair are blowing
across her face. She’s got that deer-in-the-headlights look as she sees who I’m
talking to. She looks around, as if to find an avenue of escape but I’m not
letting her get away.

"Baby! Over here." I call, smiling and motioning for her to join us.

She smiles back and continues walking toward us, but she almost looks like a
condemned person walking to her death. Wonder what the problem is?

"Mornin’, luv," I say as brightly as I can manage and throw in a wink for
good measure. "I was just chatting with your mate Bryan here, letting him know
I’m not the huge wanker I came across as yesterday."

"Hey, Addy. This guy’s not so bad. Maybe your character judgment’s improved
over the last few years…hmmm?" Bryan says, smiling at her with a familiarity
that sends a jolt of jealousy through me, but it’s gone as soon as it
arrives.

‘Addy’? She’s no ‘Addy’. How bloody ridiculous. I look from one to the other
of them, trying vainly to interpret the underlying meaning of his last words but
I can’t figure out more than that she must’ve made an error in judgment at some
point. Likely regarding a man but I’d already guessed that much on my
own.

If the blush that’s stinging her cheeks is any indication she’d
rather discuss anything else in the world.

I’m not too surprised when she says, "Um…yeah. Orli? I think they’re looking
for you on set. Why don’t we go check it out?"

She’s studying the ground so intently that I can’t read her eyes, but I’d be
willing to bet a hundred quid that this is simply her way of getting Bryan and I
apart. No worries. At least she’s said she’s coming with me. With me. I
should feel bad about the fact that I feel as though I’ve won some competition
for her attention but I don’t. Hmmm, maybe I am getting a bit spoiled by
all this. Bugger it. She’s coming with me and that’s all that counts, right?

"Sure, luv," I reply casually, turning to Bryan and saying "Bryan, it was
good to meet you, mate. Maybe we can all do something before we wrap here?"

"That would be great, Mr. Bloom. Just let me know when and where," Bryan
says, using my last name as though I needed a title.

"Please, call me Orlando," I tell him.

I want to be sure he knows that I consider us friends now. He smiles and we
shake hands before baby and I start off to where my next scene is setting
up.

"You were right about ‘im, luv. He seems to be a fine chap. How do
you two know one another again? You never told me last night," I ask, wanting to
get to the bottom of their relationship.

She blushes again, turning even redder. Now what can that mean? If they’re
just friends, what’s there to blush about?

"We…um… had some mutual friends for awhile a few years back. We’ve lost touch
over the years and yesterday was the first time I’ve seen any of them in a very
long time," she says, avoiding looking at me.

The girl’s a real pro at saying something, without telling you
anything at all. She’s obviously not ready to go into any detail on the subject,
so I’ll let it go for now. Maybe later.

After walking together without speaking for a few steps, she suddenly looks
over at me with a smile and says, "The rose is beautiful, Orli, and the card was
a sweet gesture as well."

She’s so pleased with them that I really wish I’d given them to her myself
instead of leaving them in her room.

"Glad you liked them, baby. That rose is a…" I start to say but she
interrupts with the end of my sentence.

"Fire and Ice. I know. It’s my favorite breed of rose," she says, looking
over at me curiously.

Her favorite, hmmm? Fitting right?

"Really? Have to remember that then, won’t I? When the florist told me the
name, it reminded me of you, so I had to get it," I say, unable to hide my smile
as I think of how she does run so hot and cold.

She smiles, then her expression takes on a look of subtle confusion.

She finally says "Well, thank you for the flower and the card. It was a
lovely surprise."

Not as lovely or surprising as that kiss,
luv…

Suddenly her face flushes with color again and I begin to wonder
if she is taking ill, so I inquire, "Are you feeling well, baby? You’re
looking a bit flushed today."

Her cheeks actually grow darker before she says, "I feel great, Orli. Just a
bit tired is all. Think you can get through today without any melt-downs?"

The blush fades from her face and is replaced by the grin that always
accompanies one of her witty barbs.

I give her my best scowl and say, "Depends on whether or not you go flitting
off with some random bloke again, baby."

Hope she can’t tell that I’m only half joking. Once again her cheeks
turn crimson. What is going on with her? I really wish I could read her
mind sometimes.

She replies lightly, "Oh no. Not today, Orli. I’ll be at your side every
moment."

Now wouldn’t that be fun? Maybe I can think of an excuse to go back to
my trailer today. It’s…private there.

Unable to resist the opportunity to tease her I say, "Brilliant, luv. You can
help me with my trousers later, then."

I give her my naughtiest laugh and look her up and down. Wonder why she just
closed her eyes and shook her head, as if saying ‘no’ to
something...

4:55 P.M.

Think I’ll take her to the
beach today. She’ll love the cove, probably as much as I do. Besides, I really
want to talk to her. Yesterday put some things into perspective for me and I’m
done trying to pretend that I’m satisfied just being her friend. It’s rubbish
and always has been. There she is. Should it make me this happy just knowing
that she’s standing over there waiting for me? Just for me? No matter if it’s
right or not, ‘cause it makes me very happy indeed.

I can’t help the wide smile that’s spread across my face as I approach her
and say, "Heya, baby. Would you take a drive with me? There’s something I’d like
to show you."

More than one thing, actually…

Watch it, Bloom!

She looks intrigued and says, "Sure, Orli. Um, what is it?"

Her curiosity is piqued but this is my secret.

"It’s a surprise, luv," I say with as much mystery as I can muster.

She narrows her eyes at me a bit suspiciously and says, "Ok. Are we taking
the limo?"

A limo? At the beach? Hmmm, interesting, but, no.

"No, luv. I hired a Jeep yesterday and I’ve decided to keep it while we’re
here. It’s a bit less conspicuous, know what I mean?" I say, leading her over to
the hardtop Wrangler I took on that drive yesterday.

The one that was supposed to help me ‘cool off’? So much for that idea, yeah?
The Jeep’s black, in and out, and it’s extremely cool. It’s brand new and has a
10-disc changer in it so I can play my favorite music all the time. The changer
has a shuffle feature that actually shuffles the discs each time a new song
comes on, so that I don’t even have to listen to the same artist twice if I
don’t want to. Very cool.

I gave the limo driver the rest of the day off
a few hours ago. The chap was so thrilled that he nearly pulled my arm out of
socket just shaking my hand. I open the passenger door for her, enjoying the
view of her backside as she climbs in. Once she’s in I close her door and go
round the driver’s side and get in myself. When I turn over the motor, the CD
player comes on. ‘It’s Been Awhile’ by Staind is on. One of my all-time favorite
songs.

"I love this song," she says and I reach over to increase the volume a bit.

"Me too."

As we drive away from the site, we’re both singing softly. From what I can
hear she has an amazing voice and I’m really glad to know we have the same taste
in music.

When the song is over, she says, "Ok, Bloom. What’s this surprise you have to
show me?"

She’s being sarcastic, one of the traits I’ve really come to love about her.
She truly has no patience at all, which presents me with nearly unlimited
opportunities to tease her. Just too much fun to be passed up.

To that end I say, "You’ll see," doing my best to maintain the mystery, then
giving her a wink.

She rolls her eyes and sniffs loudly, but doesn’t mention it again.

I pull out onto the coastal road and press the accelerator, urging more speed
from the Jeep’s motor, when I hear her say, "This place is so beautiful, I never
would have guessed Morocco would look like this."

She’s staring out the window, enjoying the gorgeous ocean view.

"Anything would be an improvement over LA, baby," I say, without even trying
to mask the contempt in my voice. I don’t understand how anyone could
want to live in LA. It’s just beyond me.

"Watch it mister. I happen to love LA," she says with the same vehement
devotion I get from Lij when I make cracks to him about it.

Must be an acquired taste. Still, I can’t resist needling her. She’s just too
adorable when she’s defensive.

"Yes. Brilliant innit, luv? I mean, what’s not to love? Smog, traffic, snobs,
phonies, the media, paparazzi…"

She shoots a glare my way and retorts, "A bit early in the game to be so
bitter, don’t you think, Orli?"

"You’re right, baby. Think maybe I’m a bit homesick. Missing my mum quite a
bit lately. Maybe I’ll try to arrange a holiday when I’m done here. Have you
ever been to Europe?" I ask, suddenly inundated with images of her in all my
favorite spots in London.

"Not hardly. Not really in my budget, you know?" she replies with a wry
smile.

Damn. I keep forgetting how much things have changed. I travel so frequently,
to so many places, that I’ve actually started to take it for granted. That’s not
a good sign, is it?

I laugh and say, "Oh yes, forgot about that, didn’t I?"

I keep driving
down the coastline and we chat idly, just enjoying each other’s company. We’re
nearing where I’ll turn off the road and I want her first sight of the cove to
be perfect.

"Ok, baby. Close your eyes."

I fully expect an argument, but true to herself-she does exactly the
opposite-and closes her eyes right away. Fire and ice, yeah? I pull off and turn
toward the beach, pulling to a stop on a small rise that looks directly out onto
the water.

I leave the music playing, but shut off the motor and she asks giddily, "Can
I open my eyes now? It’s dark in here."

Her giggle makes the moment even more enjoyable, and I say "Yes, luv. Open
them." surprised at the fact that my voice is so soft it could be called a
whisper.

As her eyes open and she focuses on the view laid out in front of us, her jaw
drops open, much the same way mine did when I first saw it.

"I would tell you how beautiful it is but words seem inadequate right now.
Thank you, Orli. Thank you for sharing this with me," she says.

"I thought you’d like it the first time I saw it. I’ve wanted to show you
this spot since you arrived, but this was the first chance I’ve had to ask you
to come. I mean, there’s no smog, and it didn’t take two hours to drive up the
coast, but it still runs a close second to LaLa land, know what I mean?"

I laugh at the indignant look she gives me but she comes right back with,
"Pipe down, Bloom. You’ll spoil it," and we both break into gales of laughter.

"Can we take a walk on the beach, Orli? I haven’t been in the sand in years,"
she says, looking longingly out the front glass at the water. I can’t hide the
open astonishment on my face at this statement.

"You mean you live in Southern California and never go to the beach? Dom, Lij
and I go surfing as often as we can. Why’s it been so long, baby?"

I can’t believe that anyone could live that near the ocean and not take
advantage of it. I mean, I used to surf off the British coast despite the frigid
temperatures, so it’s truly incomprehensible to me that she could be in such an
atmosphere and ignore it.

She glances over at me and with the barest of shrugs says, "Just no time I
guess. I’m always busy with agency stuff. You know the game as well as I do,
Orli. There’s always some premier, party or social something going on. Keeping
Fiona organized alone is a full-time, twenty-four hour proposition, so I just
haven’t found much time for ‘recreational’ stuff. But, I love my job. Could be
worse, ya know," she finishes with a self-effacing smirk.

Hmmm, that was a very well articulated, well thought-out, self-deluding load
of crap, wasn’t it?

"Bollucks."

"Pardon me?" she says, whether she’s questioning my use of this curse or its
meaning I’m not sure.

"Bollucks. That’s a load of rubbish, and you know it as well as I do. You
don’t take care of yourself; don’t give back to yourself, baby. Before now, how
long has it been since you were outside LA for more than a day?"

Not waiting for her answer I turn the music off and exit the Jeep, going
around to open her door. As usual, she’s already done for herself and she nearly
runs into me as she heads to the front of the vehicle to meet me.

Stifling my frown at missing the opportunity to help her down from her seat I
ask "Well? How long?"

As I watch, her eyes take on a distant look and she seems to have drifted
into a memory.

"It’s…um…been about five years, Orli. A long time…"

Her voice trails off and it occurs to me that everything in her life seems to
have stopped or changed about five years ago. Something significant must’ve
happened, but damned if I can figure out what it might be. It’s going to require
some sly investigation on my part to uncover it and I’ll have to be careful how
I go about it. She’ll have my head if she even suspects that I’m prying. She’s
very protective of her privacy. Must be a side effect of her job since she helps
protect the privacy of the agency’s clients.

The haunted look she’s wearing does let me know that she’s not prepared to go
into it at the moment and I want her to enjoy this so I smile at her brightly
and say, "Well, you’re here now, so let’s enjoy it, yeah?"

The gratitude that’s conveyed in her eyes makes me feel like an arse for
having cornered her on the subject in the first place and I decide to let the
topic go altogether. We walk out onto the sand and she pauses to remove her
shoes and socks, bending over to roll her jeans up around her knees. I must say
that her denim clad bum looks very enticing bending over like that but I keep
the wolfish comment that springs to mind to myself, sensing that this might not
be the time for it.

Instead, I follow her cue and take off my shoes, rolling my own jeans up
around my calves and we set off down to the water’s edge, both enjoying the play
of the foamy water over our feet. We spend a few minutes just chatting and
taking in the gorgeous scenery. I tell her a bit about my experiences while
filming ‘Pirates’ and she listens intently, laughing at my anecdotes about
Johnny.

She is so easy to talk to and we have this wonderful comfort with each other.
It allows me the freedom to make a bit of a fool of myself, for which I’m
rewarded with her rich laughter. It makes me so happy to see her like this.

We make our way back away from the water and find a patch of dry sand to
sit down on. She’s looking out at the setting sun, another far away look in her
eyes.

"Last time I was over here they had bon fires on this beach. I was hoping
there might be one tonight, but it doesn’t look like we’ll be having any
company." I say, looking at our surroundings with a fond smile.

This cove is really much more private than I’ve ever noticed. All the other
times I’ve been here there was always a crowd of people.

The seclusion of it makes my mind run to a place that I’ve really been trying
to stay away from but my next words are out before I can stop them.

"Baby? There’s something I’d like to talk to you about. I’ve been thinking
about this quite a bit, especially since you got here…"

The sudden stark panic that enters her eyes belies her calm tone as she says,
"Ok. What did you want to talk about, Orli?"

Brilliant. My brain chooses this moment to switch off.

"Well…um…it’s just that…I…um…"

Well said! What a blighter. Thank God I’m not looking at her, else she’d see
the panic in my own eyes.

"Would you like a cue card, Bloom?" she asks, jumping on the chance to tease
me back.

I smile, still not looking at her and say, "This is a bit tougher than I’d
thought, innit? What I’m trying to say is that, well, I really enjoyed that
kiss."

Very good, mate. Like that was a news flash? Of course you enjoyed it, you
wanker.

"Um, thank you? I liked it too, Orli."

Well there’s some good news. Now maybe I should tell her what I really meant
to say, yeah?

"I was wondering how you’d feel about, well, if we did that again? Often?"

Damn. I hope that didn’t sound as lame as I think it did.

"Often? What exactly are you suggesting, Orli?" she asks, blushing a deep
red.

Ok. Here’s my chance. Just lay it all out on the table.

"You know what I’m asking, luv. Would you consider seeing me? Dating, if you
will?"

Time seems to stretch into infinity as I sit here waiting for her to answer
me. My palms are sweating and my mouth is suddenly very dry. Is she ever going
to say anything? Just staring into those jade-green eyes is enough to make me
feel drawn to kiss her. For a single moment I consider doing just that, to
persuade her to say yes. I dismiss that thought as I realize that the panic has
returned to her eyes and she looks like she may be sick. Her voice comes softly,
almost reluctantly and I hear the words that, in truth, I’d known would come.

"You know I don’t date…"

Frustration mixed with the hurt of rejection make me cut her off
mid-sentence.

"Yes, yes. ‘I don’t date actors, Orli.’ I’ve heard that mantra more
than I care to remember, baby. I’m not talking about actors here, baby. This is
me. Orli. You know me, Adriana. Maybe better than anyone ever has. Are
you telling me that after all we’ve shared and the time we’ve spent together,
that I still only rate as an ‘actor’ with you?"

Her eyes bore into mine and I feel hope blossom when she seems to be
reconsidering her answer but then I see the resignation take root.

"Of course not, Orli, don’t be dramatic. You are more to me than just
an actor or a client. You’re my friend and I don’t want to lose you, but I will
not-I cannot- make an exception to my rule. I’m sorry."

Ok. That
went well. Now how am I supposed to drive us back to the hotel with this gaping
hole in my chest where my heart used to be? It’s alright. If this is how she
wants it, I’ll just have to find a way to deal with it. That’s all…

"I see. That’s too bad, luv. I’d really like to be able to mend the damage
that’s been done to you. You carry the scars like a shield but if that’s how you
feel, I won’t ask again."

I smile at her as sincerely as I can and stand up. I hold out my hand to her
and help her to her feet, ignoring my instinct to take her in my arms despite
everything we just said. I look down into her beautiful face and feel my heart
as it finishes shattering into a million pieces.

"So what now? Am I on a
plane back to LA first thing in the morning? New room at the hotel? What?" she
asks, obviously trying to see how all this has affected our relationship. I hope
she doesn’t actually believe I’d send her home because she turned me down.
Surely she knows me better than that?

With a frown I say, "Don’t be absurd. You still need to relax and I still
need you here. If you’d like a separate room, I’ll arrange it as soon as we get
back to the hotel, but know that it isn’t my preference that you move."

The brief look of relief that crosses her face tells me that she’s not going
anywhere and that she still wants me in her life. I feel a bit sick to my
stomach at how grateful I am for that small allowance. Man. I need some kind of
distraction.

As we approach the Jeep, I open her door and she climbs up inside. I walk
around, get in and put the key into the ignition. Turning the key makes the CD
player come back on, playing ‘Away From Me’ by Puddle of Mudd. Normally I’d turn
it up-it’s another favorite of mine-but right now the words just echo in my
head, reinforcing the events of the last hour.

We drive all the way back to the hotel and go up to the room in silence. Once
there, she makes an excuse, as thinly veiled as my own, and we head in opposite
directions, to our own rooms.

7:00 P.M.

It’s amazing
what can pass through your mind after half a bottle of scotch. I think I heard
her crying when I went out to the bar earlier but I couldn’t bring myself to
comfort her.

I know it sounds terrible but I found a small amount of satisfaction in the
fact that her choice has made her as unhappy as it’s made me.

As I sit here, feeling terribly sorry for myself, my mind starts to examine
my options. I actually begin to consider finding someone here to date but
honestly I don’t have the time, energy or even the desire to seek out someone.
Discarding that thought, my hand reaches for my mobile phone.

Now what?

Clicking through the menu buttons until I get to my phone book, I find the
number I was subconsciously seeking. Taking a deep breath, I press the key that
causes the phone to dial and wait for an answer.

"Hello?" comes the answer; a very soft, very sleepy whisper.

Damn. Forgot the time difference, didn’t I?

"Hello, luv. It’s Orli, calling from Morocco," I say, trying vainly to
justify the hour of my call.

"Orlando? Do you know what time it is?" There’s a long pause, then "Are you
ok?"

Funny how no matter what’s happened between us, she still manages to sound as
if she actually cares.

"I’m fine, luv. I miss you though," I lie. I am lonely but not for
her.

"You miss me? Since when?" she asks, her disbelief coming clearly through the
international phone line.

"Since I last saw you, ducks," I say, truly unable to believe my own level of
deceit. "How’d you like to come out here…to Morocco?" I venture.

What the hell am I doing? Am I really this selfish?

"Orli…its 3 AM. Can we have this conversation in a couple of hours, when I’m
awake?" she asks, that whiny quality coming into her voice.

That’s one of the reasons I broke up with her in the first place. I can’t
take whiny women. Do I really want to do this?

"Sure, ducks. Call me later. Still have my mobile number?" I ask.

"Yes, Orli. Talk to you later," she replies through a yawn.

"Goodbye, luv," I say and ring off.

Gonna go finish the other half of
that bottle now.

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