Whisper In the Wind

Whisper in the Wind

Chapter 2

He arrived on the last flight in the middle of the night.

It was better this way.

Not ready to face the sight of the city in daylight yet.

Not without Him.

As the plane landed and the pilot announced they arrival at their final destination, the only passenger in first class took a deep breath and reached for his carry-on bag.

‘I hope you’ve had an enjoyable flight, Mr. Bloom. Welcome back to Queenstown!’ said the stewardess as Orlando exited the plane.

The young actor flashed one of his trademark smiles at the young woman and started his descent on the stairwell.

The airport was fairly deserted at that late hour and there were no signs of any reporters or photographers. The Brit let out his breath, somewhat relaxed. So far it looked as if his little escapade had not reached the ears of the media and for the moment he felt safe. He’d bought the tickets to New Zealand in a split second decision which had been preceded by temporary insanity.

Only two weeks left until his wedding and the young actor needed to make this last trip to put the past behind him.

He came to say goodbye.

There were many reasons why it wasn’t a good idea to return to this place that was so full of sweet and cherished memories. Orlando knew that he would have a hard time walking the streets and paths where he used to walk with Him, but he had to let that dream go.

As the taxi moved through the city, the Brit gazed through the window, but his eyes did not see the landscape or the street lights.

He saw Him as the memories flooded through him like a river that had broken its dam.

Him, smiling and drinking coffee early in the morning, waiting for makeup.

Him, looking at an interesting stone with utter fascination, his long fingers grazing the surface with a gentle caress.


Him, making fun of the prissiness of the Elves and encouraging Orlando to “go and get a manicure”.

Viggo.

The young man whispered the name like a sacred word which holds magic. Every road leads to that name. Summer or winter, day or night. In his waking hours or in his deepest sleep. Actor, photographer, painter, poet and friend. All of them were the same person.
And for Orlando, the love of his life.

Viggo.

He never told the artist. What would be the point in that?

For a while Orlando wasn’t even sure about his own feelings regarding the Dane.
The young man kept telling himself that it was only hero worship and deep respect for the extraordinary talent of the older man.

After a few months of stubborn denial, one night changed Orlando’s life forever.

Part of the cast had a long weekend after finishing four months of night shooting of Helm’s Deep and there was a “reuniting party” held by the hobbits. Everyone was tipsy by midnight and lots of kissing and hugging took place as the alcohol loosened up the actors. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, for the cast members had always been a touchy-feely kinds of group even from the beginning. Until Viggo happened to flop down by Orlando’s side and embraced the “prissy elf”, pulling the young man tight against him.

The young actor snuggled closer to the artist, turning his face up to smile at the older man. Although, Orlando was slightly drunk, he was still in control of his mind and as his eyes locked with Viggo’s, his smile faltered. There was something in those blue heavens that made the young man sober up in one second flat.

Orlando opened his mouth to ask something, but the next moment Viggo’s lips were closed on his and the world went blank around the young actor. There was only sensation. Viggo’s lips molding to his, caressing the soft skin with the tip of his tongue, seeking entrance.

Orlando opened up for the older man without any hesitation. He matched every caress, every thrust of Viggo’s tongue with total abandon, drinking the other man’s essence deep into his body and into his soul.

Suddenly the artist pulled back and the young man found himself out of breath and out of his mind. The Brit opened his eyes to confirm that the kiss was real and not a product of his drunken mind. The sight of Viggo’s passion filled eyes and the moisture still glistening on the artist’s lips from their kiss proved that it wasn’t a dream.

Orlando opened his mouth, trying to say something, but he could not find the words. In the next moment Viggo winked at him and reached for his drink.

‘I was watching you smooching around with the hobbits all night, elfboy and what a pathetic sight that was. So I thought that I have to show you how to kiss properly,’ said the older actor smiling and messing up Orlando’s hair with his hand.

The next moment Craig crushed down beside them and Viggo turned to the Kiwi actor, breaking the embrace.

‘That was a kingly kiss, Aragorn. Do you show your talent only to Elven royalty, or would you be willing to practice the art of kissing with a mere Marchwarden?’ inquired the handsome actor with slightly slurred speech.

‘Haldir o’ Lorien it will be an honor to exchange the knowledge of kissing with you,’ played Viggo without missing a beat as he leaned over to capture Craig’s lips.

Orlando watched the scene unfolding in front of his eyes and the young man realized that he was utterly and hopelessly in love with the Dane. The realization shook the young man. He never felt any attraction for a male and the recognition of his feelings for the older man came crushing down on him with the force and speed of a runaway train. He soon excused himself from the party and spent the rest of the night trying to come to terms with his new emotions.

After that night, Viggo never kissed him like that again and the young actor was sure that the Dane had just been acting on impulse and under the influence of excessive amounts of alcohol.

Orlando became more touchy-feely with Viggo, trying to save and store the feeling of the older man’s skin, hair and lips under his touch whenever possible. As the months flew by and the last day of principal shooting arrived, Orlando gave in to his fate. He knew that he could never have the artist, but the young Brit didn’t feel bitter about it. He was thankful for the time that he had been allowed to spend in the older man’s company.

When the cast scattered to pursue they own careers and dreams, most of them kept in touch and every premier and re-shooting was a celebration of togetherness and friendship.

Then came the last premier in Wellington and the whole world seemed to embrace them with love and affection. Orlando clung to Viggo throughout the two days they spent in the city. That was the last time when Orlando saw Him face to face. There were phone calls and e-mails, but the brutal schedule of his newly found stardom kept Orlando at a distance from the man who he loved.

When he met Kate, the young man was desperate for some real human contact.
The girl just happened to be in the right place at the right time and comforted the Brit when he needed it the most.

First they became good friends and Orlando realized how nice she really was. The young actor felt comfortable around her and soon he discovered that in his own way he loved her. He could count on Kate and in this crazy world she could be the anchor that would keep him safe and on the ground.

But every time he saw Viggo in the news or in the papers or talked with the artist on the phone, Orlando’s heart broke again and again, until he started to respond to the older man’s calls and letters less often just to keep his sanity.

Finally the young actor decided to change his life and abandon all hope concerning Viggo.

He proposed to Kate and called up all his friends and family and sent out the invitations.
By some miracle, the media didn’t catch the scent of the news of the upcoming nuptials.
Everyone responded to the invitation, working hard to work their schedules around the wedding. Except one.

Viggo didn’t call.

Orlando sent the invitation to the Dane at the same time as the others, but he couldn’t make the call to tell the news to the artist in person. Every day he waited, hoping that Viggo would call and congratulate him, but the call never came.

So two nights ago he called up his travel agent friend and purchased a roundtrip ticket to Queenstown for the next day.

And now Orlando was back in the land that had gifted him with the best days of his life.

It was time to let go of his desperate hopes and say goodbye to Viggo.

To be continued…