An Elf's Rose

CHAPTER TWO

He was at work the next day in his father’s office, sitting with Denise, one of the secretaries, as she explained the problems she was having with her inter-office email. He was continuously having to drag his attention back to what the woman was saying. Black Spanish eyes kept intruding.

Orli did not understand it. He couldn’t get that girl’s face out of his head. She was so quintessentially a Hobbit, it was surreal. The curly hair was one thing, but the innocence and determination, the glimpses of her stout-heartedness shining from the coal-black depths of her big long-lashed eyes, those had caught at his heart. And when he had touched her shoulder, he had felt a jolt of thinthing. It had startled him and he’d gotten up quickly and went inside, confused and uncertain.

His reverie was broken by a tug on his braid. It was Sondra the office manager.

“Orli, honey, we’ve got a new employee that I’d like you to show the ropes to.”

“Sure. Just let me fix this little problem here and I’ll be in your office.”

Orli had been working at his father’s office since they’d moved to California from Kent, England when he was sixteen. His father had partnered up with an American friend to open Bloom and Sergeant, Inc., what was now a very important structural engineering firm that worked for a variety of clientele, not the least of which was the state government. Orli knew ‘the ropes’ like the back of his hand. Sondra was the only other person that knew as much as he did about the workings of the firm and Its clients; she was the first employee other than himself the company had hired. She was also his adopted “surrogate mother”.

It took Orli fifteen minutes to figure out the networking problem and reconfigure the email. “If this keeps happening, something may be corrupted and I’m going to have to work on it at home.”

Denise looked at him in horror. “But I need my computer to work. I can’t do without it.”

Orli grinned. “Don’t worry, I won’t let my father fire you. Besides, I can take it home over the weekend so you won’t miss it.” Denise grinned helplessly back at that beautiful face and pinched the skin of his forearm hard. “Get lost, brat.”

He strolled into Sondra’s office and slouched in one of the leather sling chairs. “So where is the new corporate slave?” he asked her mischievously.

“In her cell awaiting branding, where else?” Sondra answered, playing along.

“Does she need shackles or did you cow her properly with a beating?”

“She is properly cowed and ready for her duties.” Sondra’s brown eyes glinted, her long brown fingers entwined on the desk.

He grinned at her. “You like this game too much.”

“We be slaves no mo’,” she said with an evil white grin in her lovely caramel-colored face. “We takin’ toins, and guess who’s toin it is now!”

Orli guffawed, loving this playful side of the usually oh-so-serious grandmother of four and counting.

“Get your skinny white ass over to accounting,” Sondra told him, turning to her computer. “Her name is Marie. She’s French. Try and keep your hands off her.”

With a negligent wave of her hand, he was dismissed. Orli snorted in derision. As if, he thought. I’m probably going to have to pull her hands off me.

Marie, it turned out, was painfully shy. She loosened up a bit when he began to speak to her in French, making little jokes to put her at ease. He was leading her by the conference rooms towards the kitchen and eating areas when his father and Michael Stodner, an old friend and client from England came out of one of them.

“Orlando, my boy!” cried the beefy Stodner. “I thought I’d miss seeing you today. How fortunate that I haven’t.” He caressed Orli’s cheek with thick fingers.

“Hullo Michael. Nice to see you again.” Orli said, voice bland.

His father winked at him. “This way Michael, There’s a talented new engineer I’d like you to meet.” He walked away, but Michael stood unmoving, ignoring Marie completely, eyes only for Orli.

“I’ve just purchased a lovely villa in Genoa, Italy, right on the coast. It’s absolutely breathtaking. You should come visit. Stay as long as you like.”

“I very much appreciate the offer, Michael. I’ll think about it.”

“You do that, dear boy. The place would suite you perfectly.” Stodner reached out as if to pinch one of Orli’s nipples and with the speed of a striking snake, Orli blocked the older man’s arm and grabbed the wrist in a firm grip. Stodner’s face flushed, unable to remove his wrist from Orli’s grasp.

“Naughty, naughty, Michael. You’ll want to keep your hands to yourself. They might get bit off some day.”

Stodner chuckled comfortably. “An old man can dream, eh?”

Orli smiled. “Of course. Dream all you like. I can’t stop you.”

Orli’s father cleared his throat, attracting their attention. “Yes, yes, Robert. I’m coming.” Stodner moved towards the elder Bloom, clapping him on the back in a friendly gesture.

“Dirty old queen,” Orli muttered, frustrated and amused by Michael’s incessant attempts at seduction.

He looked at Marie a bit self-consciously and shrugged, speaking to her in French. “He is an old friend of my father’s I have known since childhood. He is quite harmless.”

Marie gave him a classic gallic shrug. “It is no concern of mine, Monsieur Bloom, what you do in the bedroom. I am concerned only of such attempts on myself.”

“Spoken like a true Frenchwoman,” Orli grinned. “As for yourself, Mademoiselle, I exptherthere will be no such attempts on your person by anyone in this office. If ever there is, well, you must immediately report it to myself or Sondra. Never deal with it yourself.” She nodded, relieved.

They continued down the hall. “Your father, he does not get angry at his friend?” Marie asked

“I am no longer a child that needs his protection. Father knows I can take care of myself.”

She nodded. “You must have this problem frequently, what with your beautiful facd bod body. Men and women both must hover around you like bees at a pot of honey.”

He looked closely at Marie, but seeing no judgment and hearing no ridicule, he smiled. “It is my cross to bear for looking so much like my mother.”

She smiled. “Ah, and she must then know whats lis like. She has taught you how to deal with it.”

Orli pursed his lips. “No, she never had the chance. Mother is dead these many years.”

“Oh, forgive my ignorance of your pain!” Marie exclaimed, looking stricken.

“It is quite all right, Marie. It pains me no longer. I miss her terribly, but there is only an ache left.” He smiled and touched her arm, moved in spite of himself. He quite liked Marie. She understood him somehow, and did not feel threatened by him or attracted to him. He gave her a teasing, side-long glance. “How is it then that you are not affected by my face sinou aou acknowledge it to be so?”

She laughed. “I suppose I must confmy smy secret. I am in love!”

“You speak truly? Tell me allut iut it.” And so, Marie, fully relaxed, told Orli all about Christian and his talent as a painter and poet. “He fences as well. And rides horses in shows.”

“I shall have to meet this young man. He sounds quite promising.”

Orli left Marie to her dungeon in the care of her fellow slaves, chatting happily and freely with the other women.

Sondra appeared at his shoulder. “How do you do that?” she whispered, looking at Marie. “If I could bottle it and sell it, I’d be a bazillionaire.”

Orli turned and kissed the soft dark cheek. “It’s simple, lovey. People just need to be heard. That’s why my father keeps me around. I’m a good listener and keep the slaves happy and their minds turned away from thoughts of revolt.”

“Hmmph. Your daddy thinks the sun shines out your scrawny white ass, even though you refuse to cut off that witch hair.”

He laughed and kissed her again. “I love you too,ma.”ma.” She slapped at him and he ducko tho the side, giggling. “Go back to your cage, boy.”

Orli loved the way she talked to him. Sondra was one of the few people who was not affected by his face. She treated him like a wayward son and brought him home regularly to her family, who treated him the same way, with good-natured insults and lots of affection. He loved being “Uncle Orli” and playing with the grandchildren and wrestling with Sondra’s younger teenage sons. He even liked it when the twin baby girls, who were so entranced by his corn floss hair, braided it and corn-rowed it and beribboned it to their hearts content. Sammy, Sondra’s oldest and the girls’ father, snapped polaroids and threatened to blackmail Orli with them.

“Look everybody. Skinny ugly white boy wants to be big black and beautiful.” Everyone laughed and kissed him and told him they loved him anyway.

Orli went back to his cage and was promptly called on the intercom to see to the stamp machine in the mail room. It had apparently jammed up. He sighed. “Right. I’m coming.”

~~~

Sensei had told the class that they were required to attehreehree classes a week, but could come every day, either to observe or take another beginners class if they wanted. Rose was there again the next night after work. She watched a third level class being put through their paces. She stood at the back by the entrance door and watche awe awe, excited that in a year she’d be that good. At this dojo one wore a white belt until one qualified for the black. This group was still white belts and was being taught by the master sensei, Mr. Akamura, and Rose’s sensei, Orlando, was sempai – assisting senior student -- to him. Rose wished she had two pairs of eyes. One to keep on sensei Akamura, and the other on Orlando. He was the epitome of her ideal Elf. Tall and eerily beautiful, quick and very strong and fierce. Just like Legolas. All he needed was a bow and quiver at his back.

“Orlando,” called sensei. “Come here.” He walked immediately up to the platform and bowed to his teacher.

“I will demonstrate the function of this form.” And he attacked Orlando who fought back with the form being taught at triple the speed the class had been doing it. Rose held her breath. They stopped and bowed to each other. “You see. Orlando has done it perfectly. This is what you must achieve.”

Again, the class repeated the form irstirst alone then in partnership.

Rose’s body twitched, wanting to follow the movements, to join in. Soon, though the students dropped into the kneeling position and watched Mr. Akamura spar with Orlando.

It was a breathtaking sight. Neither man held back and they came together with full strength blows and blocks, the sound of flesh striking flesh loud in the silence. At one point Mr. Akamura flipped Orlando right over his head and twirled to face him. Orlando didn’t mi bea beat, landing on his feet like a cat and with a loud “Hai!” jumped to throw a kick at Mr. Akamura’s chest. Mr. Akamura ducked and grabbed Orlando’s leg, twisting him around in mid air, landing him on his back. Orlando was not defeated though. He hopped back up as if he had a spring hidden in the floor and entangled his legs with Mr. Akamura’s. They both hit the floor but suddenly the older man was on top and his arm around Orlando’s throat.

Orlando conceded, slapping the floor and going limp. One small move by his sensei and his neck would be snapped. Rose shuddered while the other students applauded. Both men, breathing heavily, bowed to each other, Orlando saying, “Arigato, sensei.” The students took their cue. They bowed also, foreheads touching the floor. “Arigato, sensei.” Thank you, teacher.

Orli noticed Rose at the back early on, but it would have been inappropriate to acknowledge her presence. , ho, however, class being over, he walked towards her, wiping his face and neck with a towel.

“So, was it inspiring, or frightening?” he asked, grinning.

“Both,” She answered honestly. “Did you let him beat you?”

Orli frowned. “Who?”

“Sensei Akamura.”

Orli’s eyes sprang wide open and he barked a laugh. “Let him beat me? Sensei was being most generous by letting me play with him and not humiliating me in three seconds flat.” He looked askance at her. “I don’t know if I’m being complemented or not by that question.”

“I, um, only meant that…well, I think you’re pretty good. It just seemed so quick at the end. I just wondered.” She flushed a lovely rose pink and bit her lower lip.

“I see. Well.” Orli looked away, discomfited by the sight of her white teeth pulling on her full lower lip. He wasn’t at all sure what she meant, but he’d try to explain. “Sensei has thirty years fighting experience on me. I have only twelve and have been a black belt only four. As I know a bit, it would take him about four to six moves to kill me. I could never let him beat me.” Rose was silent as she digested this information.

Some students were leaving and they had to move out of the doorway.

“G’night, Orli.”

“See ya tomorrow, dude.” The boy chucked Orli on the shoulder and winked.

“Bye, Orli.”

“ ‘Orli?’ ” Rose asked, smiling. “That’s cute.”

He felt a flush creeping up his face and rubbed it with the towel to hide it, hopine’d e’d think the friction caused it. He shrugged. “It’s my nickname. Everyone calls me that.” He grinned wickedly at her. “Except you, of course, and the rest of your class.”

“Orlando.”

It was Mr. Akamura gesturing him to come. He looked back at Rose. “See you tomorrow at seven sharp.”

“Yes, sensei,” she replied and bowed to him.

~~~

“Do you think it is wise, my son, to be too friendly with a student so soon? And a female one at that?”

Orli’s face flushed in embarrassment but didn’t try to hide it from his teacher. “No doubt you are right, sensei, to wonder. But she is…different. She is a wise old soul for all her young years. I can see it in her eyes.”

The older man chuckled. “The ways of females will always be a mystery to me. Perhaps you know more that I do on this subject. I only ask that you be careful. The student-teacher relationship is sacrosanct and there are strict rules guiding it; rules even immoral Americans respect. If you defile it, there would be much trouble, trouble I’d rather not have my best student in. Do you understand my meaning?”

“Yes, sensei. I take your meaning.”

“Good. You are a good boy, Orlando, and have come very far in a very short time. But remember you are still young and your mind can still be driven by the small flesh between your legs. I recommend immediate meditation on this.”

“Yes, sensei.”

Orli made his way to the teaching platform and kneeled facing the mirror. He closed his eyes and ignored the curious stares of the other sempai sweeping the floors, no doubt wondering why he was being punished.