Orlando Bloom / Reader (2) - Part 2
You got your key and followed Orlando out from your hotel room and into the corridor. Neither of you talked that much during the short walk to the stairway that led down into the lobby nor during descending the narrow stairs side by side. After crossing the cozy entrance hall-slash-lobby-slash-reception area you arrived into the small restaurant that was serving breakfast from a buffet. You both collected a generous amount of different breakfast items on your plates and then found a table for two by the window with a gorgeous view to the sea, the horizon that glimmered in morning light. When you both had settled in and started to make sandwiches, Orlando suddenly broke the silence by asking your name. Yes indeed, you had not introduced yourself at any point and after you had introduced yourself, Orlando did the same even though it was more than obvious that you knew exactly who he was.
For your surprise there was no arguing anymore, although there were few sharp comments flying over the table every now and then but it was more like playful teasing among friends than fighting verbally. It was strange… strange because it felt like you clicked with him; he knew when you were being sarcastic and you knew when he was just joking and this made it very easy to share a lively conversation with him. The atmosphere was relaxed and there was even subtle flirt that made the air around you get electrified, making it impossible for either of you to break the intense eye contact or to escape the shared, silent smiles.
The truth was that it was very rare for you to experience such chemistry with anyone; you had gone out for countless first and second dates, always hoping to meet someone to make your knees weak and sweep you off your feet… but you had not really expected to ever meet someone like that. Oh no, in the opinion of your cynical self an instant attraction was just a big Hollywood cliché that people were brainwashed to believe by all those sugary sweet romantic comedies. However now you were here sitting opposite from a person, a celebrity that you had had a small crush on ever since his role as Legolas, yes, but this… this inescapable and undeniable spark had nothing to do with it… and you knew it in your bones that Orlando felt the same.
Yes, that he did. He had found your disagreement amusing and strangely intriguing and therefore he had not left your hotel room this morning after getting his phone back. When he had pushed you against the wall and stayed so close, yet too far to actually touch you or let his body be pressed against yours, he had felt like you and he were magnets, pulling each other closer… the same thing that he felt right now as he kept drowning into your eyes and this invisible force was impossible to ignore. Yes… your eyes… filled with laughter and mysteries… so familiar yet so intriguing. Orlando gathered his courage and slowly, kind of sneakily, shifted his hand closer to yours as you rested it on the table next to your mug, first his fingertips touching softly yours, almost accidentally and then, since you didn’t pull your hand away, eventually shifting his hand on yours. He brushed the back of your hand with his thumb while concentrating on the conversation and letting the surrounding world fade away.
- So, you’re on a holiday here. you said and after a short pause asked curiously “Staying long?”
- Just a few days. Orlando replied and then leaned back in his chair, forcing him to let go of your hand. He had noticed people staring and pointing at you while whispering to each other and therefore he wanted to keep a low profile for now. “You know…” he continued and took a deep breath before going any further. You smiled at him and leaned back in your chair as well. “…Even though these sceneries are breathtaking… The sound of the waves…” he said and then added with a dreamy, soft voice “…Magical…” to which you commented with a nod, Orlando smiled at you briefly and then stated with a slightly longing tone “Home is home.” It was obvious that Orlando missed his home and it made you feel both sad and happy at the same time. You felt sad because you felt for the guy; to live in the hotels most of the time surely wasn’t mentally easy if you liked staying at home… which was the thing that made you happy… Orlando seemed like a normal dude who appreciated normal things… such as… home.
- Yeah I know the feeling. you sighed and then added with a thoughtful tone “Your own bed-”
- Yes! Exactly! Orlando exclaimed and then immediately continued by speaking with an enthusiastic tone “Being able to wash your own clothes… prepare your own dinners…”
- What? you asked with a confused chuckle. Were those the things that he missed about home? It was so sweet that it was almost ridiculous but then again, if you lived mostly in hotels, ate in restaurants… maybe then simple house chores were something that one missed… it just sounded so strange to you because your reality, the state of your life was so completely different. “I am hoping someone to do the house chores for me and you are excited about them” you spoke with an amazed and amused tone and after laughing a bit more, you asked playfully “Shall I bring you my clothes to be washed if you enjoy it so much?”
- Is that the key to your heart? Orlando asked and stared into your eyes with a calm yet slightly mysterious smile on his face that made you blush a little. “The ultimate trick to charm you and sweep you off your feet?” he asked curiously with a soft tone.
- Sure. you laughed out loud as a response and quite instantly your laughter made Orlando laugh as well.
- Seriously though, the truth is that I miss home. he spoke after you both had calmed down and stopped laughing.
- Where is home? you asked and leaned forward, supporting yourself to your hand.
- In London. Orlando answered and then asked casually “Yours?”
- London as well. you replied while you played with your necklace, the action making Orlando’s focus shift from your eyes to your neck, taking a quick look at the flattering neckline of your shirt and then returning to trace your lips like he was studying and memorizing them for the future.
- Really? he asked.
- Yeah, why so suspicious? you asked and smirked at him. Orlando leaned forward as well and spoke softly
- Your accent-
- Oh, recently moved there from (your home city). you replied instantly, accidentally interrupting him, however Orlando didn’t seem to mind. He nodded and took his glass, finished the freshly squeezed orange juice and placed the empty glass back to the table. You tilted your head a little as your gaze lingered on his lips for a moment too long and after being caught red-handed, you shifted your gaze elsewhere and brushed a stray lock of your hair behind your ear.
- Where in London do you live? Orlando asked curiously.
- Planning to stalk me? you asked playfully.
- Perhaps. the handsome man in front of you commented with a smirk.
- I shouldn’t be too specific then. you stated while you allowed your eyes travel lower from Orlando’s eyes, stopping to admire his lips for a moment and then continuing lower to his neck and chest, taking in the attractive physique… until you realized that you were staring at him a bit too intensely, almost like undressing him with your eyes.
- Oh I will find out all the details. Orlando commented and woke you up from your thoughts.
- I’m sure you will. you chuckled and shifted your gaze elsewhere. You both were silent for a moment; Orlando scanning your expressions with his keen eyes and you praying for mercy silently in your mind because you knew that being the center of his attention made your cheeks get flushed. Yes, it was obvious that you were attracted to him but you didn’t want it to be this obvious!
- So? Orlando asked suddenly and broke the silence.
- East London. you replied instantly and moved your eyes from the surrounding restaurant walls back to the man opposite, on the other side of the small table. Orlando nodded and started to list the districts curiously
- Dalston, Hackney, Haggerston… Bethnal Gre-
- Bethnal Green. you stated as you leaned back in your chair to gain some physical distance to Orlando, just to keep your head straight.
- Really? he asked with a surprised tone. “Where in Bethnal Green?” he asked with a tone that was now very curious instead of surprised. It was clear that Orlando was very eager to know some specifics, you however decided not to be too specific so you just gave the most general landmark of your neighborhood.
- Near the subway station. you responded because there were plenty of apartment houses in the area so even though the station gave a some sense of location, it didn’t reveal the exact spot of your home.
- There is the green pub. Orlando commented casually.
- Salmon and Ball? you asked immediately, scolding yourself for blurting details so carelessly.
- Yeah, that’s right. he said and gave you a look that made it quite apparent that he knew exactly what you were talking about.
- Yeah, haven’t been. you stated and then without thinking about it any further, you continued “I live right across the street from that.” When you realized that the location of your home was no longer a secret, you covered your mouth with your hand as an automated reaction and sighed “Shit.”
- You… do? Orlando asked with a suspicious tone. You removed the hand from your mouth and took a deep breath.
- You know the building with red bricks? you asked because there was no point to try to hide your home address anymore; the pub called Salmon and Ball was a pretty good landmark if you knew the area at all.
- In the matter of fact, I do. he answered while rubbing his chin with his hand a little.
- Yeah, second floor, corner apartment and view to the park. you continued as your eyes scanned Orlando’s expression that changed from suspicious to very doubtful.
- You are shitting me, aren’t you? he asked, to which you replied with a silent headshake. “Right above Ellis&Co?” he asked.
- Yeah… and no, I am not shitting you. you stated with an eye-roll. “Why?” you asked with a confused tone. You turned your head when you heard a waitress cleaning the table next to yours and you instantly realized that you had no idea of what the time it was. You checked your phone and gasped when you saw the digital clock on the lock-screen; it was almost half past one which meant that you had been sitting and talking with Orlando for four hours already. Yes the breakfast had ended ages ago and the restaurant was now serving lunch, but the personnel had been courteous enough to let you and Orlando occupy the corner table without distractions.
- Because I live right above you. Orlando replied with a tone that you couldn’t interpret.
- No. That is impossible. you commented and laughed nervously.
- Nope, not impossible. Orlando commented and then added “Just very improbable.” You were silent for a moment while you added the puzzle pieces together and when you finally saw the big picture your face went suddenly pale and you mumbled with a slightly puzzled tone
- So you are the tenant of apartment 3-5.
- Yes. It is my London apartment. he replied and after a short pause he added “My home.”
You couldn’t believe it; from all the districts, all the neighborhoods and apartment buildings… Orlando Bloom was living in the same building and more specifically, right above you… in the fifth apartment of the third floor. You went quickly through all the times when you had seen him leaving the building and returning home but you had never seen him properly enough to recognize him. You had walked past him in the stairway, even said “hello” a couple of times but you had always been too focused on your own things, always wearing headphones and listening to music, completely shutting the world out and therefore gotten blind to the people who were living around you.
- I have been in your apartment. you stated suddenly with a shocked tone.
- You… what? Orlando asked with a surprised voice.
- Yep. you said and after a short breath you corrected yourself by saying “Well, in the entrance hall anyway.”
- Okay… Orlando said suspiciously. He was surprised and didn’t quite know what to think about such revelation; he had assumed that finding out that you lived in the same apartment was a total surprise to you but now he felt somewhat awkward. He felt awkward because he feared that you were playing him, just pretending like his fame and career didn’t interest you at all… when actually you had been snooping around his home. “There has to be an interesting story behind that” he said with a casual tone, hoping that the doubtful, nagging voice in the back of his head was indeed wrong and just trying to trick him to believe the worst of you.
The truth was that Orlando liked you; he liked particularly the easiness of being with you and the fact that you didn’t make a big deal out of his profession. He appreciated the way you treated him like a normal person and allowed him to be himself around you, just like you were being yourself around him… or so he had thought. However now he had learned that you lived in the same apartment building than he did, still read-between-the-lines claiming that you had had no idea… and… for some reason you had been in his apartment. This, hearing you saying it, felt like an intrusion of privacy.
- Well, yes and no. you replied hesitantly because you sensed the mood shifting from relaxed to slightly tensed and mostly awkward. This made you regret blurting out that you had invaded his home… although your intentions had been good. However you were well-aware what this looked like; a fan-girl meeting one of her favorite actors in the middle of nowhere and then revealing that she lives in the same apartment building and even worse… that she has visited the apartment… the home… the most private place… of the target of her daydreams. You knew that you had had no idea who the tenant of 3-5 was and you were just as surprised to find out that it was Orlando Bloom than Orlando bloom himself was… but the problem was that you didn’t know each other and if the roles were being reversed, if you were the famous actor and he was the fan-boy who had been in your apartment, you would have also felt awkward and slightly violated… well, you would have surely hoped to hear a good explanation for it.
- Why “no”? Orlando asked with sharp eyes, scanning your expression in such way that made you feel rather exposed. You chuckled nervously and rubbed your chin for a moment as you tried to form your thoughts into words and further into proper sentences.
- Well… you gasped and after hesitating for few seconds you began with “Because…” after which you paused again, feeling the blush creeping to your cheeks. “…It kind of includes me wondering if the tenant of 3-5 is dead” you admitted with an embarrassed expression on your face. Orlando analyzed your tone as well as your expression and started to laugh. You had been holding your breath while you had waited for some response and now that you listened to Orlando’s laughter echoing in the half-empty restaurant, you finally dared to breathe in and sigh from relief because the atmosphere changed again from tensed and awkward to somewhat relaxed and casual.
- Okay, now I really need to hear this. he commented with a keen, curious tone.
- Uhm… Well, the thing is… I am writer. you managed to stammer. You paused for a moment and collected your thoughts before continuing. “I usually write at home and it means that I spend an awful lot of time… there” you spoke and drummed the surface of the table with your fingertips.
- There? You mean… home? Orlando asked and shifted his gaze from your eyes to your fingers. You stopped drumming immediately and nodded as an answer.
- Alright, what do you write? Orlando asked as he shifted his gaze back to your eyes.
- Well, I am currently trying to trying to write a fictional novel. you replied and grabbed an unused napkin to play with while explaining the specifics of your story. The truth was that you were having a serious writer’s block and even though you had kind of clear picture of the general plot, there were so many details yet to be decided that you had not been able to start the writing process. Sure you had a notebook filled with notes but so far you had not managed to come up with the first sentence that would kick off the story.
Your writer’s block was the reason why you had taken this holiday in the first place; you had gotten so frustrated with staring at the blank computer screen of your laptop that you had just booked a hotel room in Dover, taken your precious notebook with you and left your laptop behind… just for a week or so. You had previously written a book about a murder mystery with a love triangle which meant that you had gotten a quite large advance-paycheck from your publisher and now, after delaying the actual labor, the writing, they were asking for the first two chapters to be delivered by the end of this month. You had had only three weeks to get them done and you had spent the first week traveling along the coast of England.
- The story is set either in London, early 1800’s… or to the coast… dramatic waves and sunsets- you described and then, after a deep, troubled sigh you admitted “I am still undecided.”
- That sounds interesting. Orlando commented and then continued by saying “If you ever turn it into a movie script, you could consider me into the role of the leading man.”
- I’ll… keep that in mind. you stated and mustered a brief, forced smile.
- So, let’s get back to the story… of me being… Orlando said and then added with an amused tone “…Dead.” It was clear that your upcoming novel wasn’t your favorite topic currently so he decided not to ask more about it, besides he was interested to know the story behind you thinking that he was dead and being in his apartment… or at least in the hallway. “Yeah” you sighed and emptied your glass, seeking some comfort to your dry mouth from the last drops of water.
- So… you know, I spend time at home and then I start to notice things. you explained and after a brief pause you specified “Like… for example, the tenant of 3-5 gets up from bed around eight…” Orlando raised his eyebrows and watched you keenly while you mumbled “…Sometimes fifteen past and then he leaves the apartment after thirty minutes, perhaps for a run… I have reasoned.”
- Okay… wow. That’s… almost creepy. Orlando commented with a chuckle.
- Then he comes back after one hour or hour and half, depending on the weather and takes a shower. you spoke and cleared your throat while trying to read Orlando’s expression; was he annoyed or bothered? Crept out perhaps? “Yeah. I haven’t been stalking you… I just… noticed…” you spoke and then nervously added “…The pattern.”
- I suppose I do have a pattern. Never thought about it. he commented, trying to sound as casual as possible but the truth was that hearing someone else, a stranger, describing his morning in such detail… it kind of spooked him a little, especially combined with the fact that you had been in his apartment. Were you a stalker? An overly nosy fan-girl?
- Yeah… since I write… and writing is all about imagining… people and their lives… you spoke and then continued cautiously by explaining “…I kind of imagined your life and… so on.” You inhaled slowly and dared to meet Orlando’s gaze again. For your relief the look in his eyes had softened and it made you feel instantly slightly lighter, like a weight had been taken off your shoulders. “I built a story around the things I had noticed” you described with a small smile on your face.
- That sounds poetic. he commented with a fascinated smile decorating the handsome features of his face, his gorgeous brown eyes sparkling as you sank deeper into the mesmerizing depths of them.
- Or overly imaginative, weird and stalker-ish. you commented and broke the eye contact to escape him for a moment.
- Come on! I am not spooked yet. Orlando exclaimed and put his hand on top of yours. You sighed and stared silently at his hand for a moment before continuing with a somewhat sincerely concerned voice
- Then one day… just silence.
- Oh. Orlando sighed, raised his eyebrows and squeezed your hand gently.
- Well, I of course assumed that the tenant of 3-5 went on a holiday. you spoke with a lighthearted chuckle. “I imagined all the exotic places he would see… all the interesting people he would meet…” you spoke thoughtfully and then added “…All the exciting things he would do and experience…” you paused and continued with a slightly unintentionally bitter tone “…While I am stuck in rainy London.”
- London can be quite rainy sometimes, especially during autumns. Orlando commented and brushed your knuckles with his thumb softly. “Yeah” you sighed and pushed the lurking melancholy away as you stated “Anyway…”
- The week turned into almost six weeks and I got worried. you explained, pursed up your lips and shook your head. It felt so ridiculous now… now that you knew who the tenant of 3-5 was… well of course he was away from home for long times every now and then! Getting so worried felt so ridiculous now but at the time, you had been basically having nightmares and unable to concentrate because the mystery had haunted every moment of your day, whether you had been awake or asleep.
-Worried? Orlando sighed and smiled charmingly. He looked boyishly shy and even flattered for your concern.
- I started to think that maybe something had happened. you explained and then added “That maybe I was actually living below a rotting corpse.”
- A rotting corpse! Orlando exclaimed and started to laugh so loud that the people in the nearby table turned to look at him with disapproving expressions.
- Yep. So I called the janitor and asked him to check your apartment… while I waited in the entrance hall. you described your actions and then stated as a conclusion “Luckily no decaying meat-stew in the bathtub…” and then sighed “…I was so profoundly relieved!” Orlando repeated the words “decaying meat-stew” as he chuckled lightheartedly and right at that moment he knew that the nagging voice in the back of his head had been wrong; you were not a stalker, you were not creepy… you had not invaded the privacy of his home, but taken a risk of discovering a decomposing body in order to make sure that everything was alright with the person living above you.
- Spooked yet? you asked hesitantly.
- Actually quite flattered. he replied softly and squeezed your hand even more tightly. The gesture combined with the dreamy look in his eyes and the softness of his voice made your courage crumble so you shifted your gaze elsewhere and mumbled “Yeah… well, I didn’t want to be one of those people who just…” with a barely audible tone and cursed silently the blush that was covering your cheeks again. You let your hair fall on your face as you leaned forward, hoping that your locks would offer you some cover to hide behind for a moment.
- Just what? Orlando asked, brushed your hair behind your ear softly and then placed his hand under your chin to guide you look at him again.
- Live their lives in their own little bubble and then either find out that they have been living some years with a mummified loner in the building. you spoke, your eyes now glued into Orlando’s as the surrounding world faded away again. At this point the waitress came to your table to collect the plates and glasses away and you recoiled from the hypnotic moment instantly when Orlando removed his hand from your jaw.
- Or… realize that something is wrong when the smell and the flies start to spread. you added casually, making the waitress give you a look that was filled with disgust and shock. “Sorry, too many horror novels” you commented and flashed a nervous smile at the woman. She had clearly heard the conversation at least partially and it was obvious that she didn’t share your sense of humor.
- Come on! Orlando said and checked the time; it was almost two and if you wanted to see the dramatic cliffs of Cornwall, you couldn’t waste daylight like this, sitting inside while the day outside was gorgeous. “Let’s go for a walk” Orlando suggested, left a random amount of coins to the table as a tip and offered his hand to you. This time when you took it, he didn’t shake it like before but raised it up to his lips and pressed a soft kiss on your knuckles. The gesture made your heart skip a beat or two and you had no other choice than to nod. Yes, a walk by the cliffs in the sunshine… what a lovely way to spend the day… especially with a charming gentleman like the tenant of 3-5.