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We were driven through the London traffic, and some time later, we pulled up in front of a beautiful two-story brownstone, in what I was told was Canterbury.

“Relax, darling,” Orlando said as we got out of the car. He paused a moment to take me in his arms, sweeping his hands lightly up and down my back. I tried to force my nerves to calm down, but the butterflies in my stomach wouldn’t listen. I inhaled deeply, taking in Orlando’s scent, which helped a bit, but even his arms around me couldn’t slow my rapidly beating heart. A million fears flowed through my head, no matter how hard I tried to stop them. Would she like me? Would I make the right impression? Would she see me the way my dad saw Orlando, as a fling? What would she think of the article in ‘People’?

“Orlando, I’m terrified,” I said, trying to smile. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”

“Of course it was,” he said, kissing me briefly. “I’m sure she’ll love you as much as I do, darling.”

He released me and took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, then led me up the front walkway to the house. He opened the door and we entered a small foyer, with charming honey coloured walls and a little bench for people to sit on to remove their shoes. We put our shoes on the rack and went further into the house.

“Mum?” Orlando called as we went into the brightly lit living room. “We’re here.”

“Welcome home, dear,” the small woman I assumed to be his mother said, coming out of what looked like the kitchen. She hugged him and he kissed her cheek. Then she smiled at me. “You must be Charlie,” she said, coming over to embrace me.

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Bloom,” I said, returning her hug as Orlando beamed at me. “You have a lovely home.”

“Sonia,” she said, stepping back from me. She turned to Orlando. “I read the magazine article you had sent over,” she said, leading us into the cozy little kitchen. “It was well-written. Sometimes those magazines are all lies, and I never know what to believe.”

“If it didn’t come directly from me, don’t believe it,” Orlando said, as though he’d said it a million times.

“They can be so mean,” she said as we sat down at the table. She put the kettle on for tea. “Those pictures they were splashing everywhere last week were absolutely horrible.” She shook her head.

I blushed, hating the fact that the first time she’d ever seen me was probably in those pictures, when I’d looked like a raccoon, and we’d been fighting so horribly.

“Well, we didn’t exactly pick the best spot to fight, now did we?” Orlando smirked, gently rubbing my knee under the table. “It’ll blow over, someone else will be the subject of their trash stories soon, and no one will even remember what happened.”

“I hope so,” she said, placing a plate of biscuits on the table in front of us. “So, Charlie, tell me about yourself. Orlando hasn’t had time to really fill me in yet.” She smiled reassuringly.

I blushed again. “There’s not much to tell,” I said, glancing over at Orlando. “What would you like to know?” I couldn’t just start randomly spewing out facts about myself to a stranger.

“Orlando tells me you’re a performer,” she said as the kettle began to boil. “Have you ever thought about getting into film?” I saw Orlando shoot her a look, but I couldn’t quite figure out what it meant.

I shook my head. “No, ma’am,” I said. “I’m happiest on the stage, with a live audience. Besides, I’m not an actor, I’m a singer. I don’t think I’d be very good in front of a camera.”

“But she’s phenomenal on stage,” Orlando broke in, beaming over at me. “She has a presence like none I’ve ever seen.”

“Did you train for theatre?”

“I did some theatre in University,” I said, shifting slightly in my chair. She set the teapot and cups on the table, with cream and sugar. “Most of my training has been in voice.”

“What did you go to University for?”

“I have a degree in literature,” I said. “I figured if performing didn’t work out, I could teach.”

“An admirable profession,” she said, nodding in approval. I saw Orlando relax. “Performing isn’t always stable.”

“That’s what my dad says,” I said, smiling. “I guess I got lucky for now, but I don’t know what will happen after Wicked. I’d hate to finish my run and then having nowhere to go from there.”

“I like her,” Sonia said to Orlando, smiling. “She has a good head on her shoulders for someone so young.”

We spent the next hour or so talking, and I gradually began to relax. It was after midnight when Orlando finally stood up and stretched.

“We should probably turn in,” he said, holding out his hand to me. “We still have a bit of a drive to my place.”

Sonia stood up as well, and hugged him. “We’ll see you in the morning for Christmas, right?” she said, hugging me as well. “Colin will be here.”

Orlando smiled. “Of course,” he said as we made our way to the door. He leaned over to kiss her cheek once we’d put our shoes on. “Good night, Mum.”

“It was nice to finally meet you, Charlie,” Sonia said, hugging me again. “Good night.”

“Good night,” I called over my shoulder as Orlando led me down the walkway to the car. He opened the door for me and I got in the car.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” he said as he backed the car out of the driveway. “She likes you.”

I smiled as he rested his hand on my leg. “I’m glad I met her,” I said, then yawned. “But, honey, I’m exhausted.”

“We’ll be to my house soon, love,” he said, putting his arm over my shoulder and pulling me against his side while he drove. “I hope Fiona had the fridge stocked. I’m starving.”

“How weird is it that you have someone go in and stock your fridge?” I teased sleepily. “There are a lot of things about your lifestyle that I need to get used to.”

He chuckled. “It wouldn’t exactly be practical if I left milk or something in my fridge for months at a time when no one’s there, now would it?”

“No, I guess not,” I agreed, turning my face into his shoulder. I closed my eyes and let the warmth of his body relax me. It didn’t take long to get to his house, and before I knew it, he was saying my name and gently stroking my cheek.

“We’re here, darling,” he said, then got out of the car and came around to my side to open my door. As I got out, he got our luggage from the trunk and carried it to the door of the very modern looking white house we were parked in front of. I took our carry-ons from the backseat and followed him.

“Well, this is it,” he said as he unlocked the door and pushed it open. “It’s pretty sparse yet, I haven’t had a chance to really get furniture or anything, but it’ll do for us this week.”

I walked into the enormous living room, looking around in awe at the high ceiling, the bare white walls, the gigantic flat screen TV on one wall, the fireplace on another. There was a gorgeous deep brown leather sofa facing the fireplace, and a matching recliner, with a glass coffee table in front. Everything looked and smelled new.

“You didn’t buy this furniture, did you?” I teased, following him through the room to the stairs. “It’s very sterile.”

He chuckled as we went down the hallway at the top of the stairs, to the last room on the left. “I haven’t spent a lot of time here since I bought it, so no, I didn’t pick it out. When I’m done Pirates I’m going to take some time and make it a home.”

We set the bags down in the huge room he’d led me in to. It was painted a warm golden brown colour, with a king size bed in the middle, and a very expensive-looking mahogany dresser and nightstand. The closet on the far wall had two massive mirrored doors on it, and it looked like a walk-in from the outside. The door to the en suite bath was on the wall opposite the closet.

“Why do I expect there to be mints on the pillows?” I asked, setting the bags down on the floor by the closet. I had to admit, the room smelled like Orlando, even if he hadn’t been there in awhile.

“I’m sure the cleaning people would leave them if I asked,” he said, depositing our luggage beside the carry-ons, and coming over to me. He immediately reached for the buttons on my jacket. “I believe I have something to make up to you, love,” he said, his voice almost a growl, as he opened the buttons and pushed my jacket down my shoulders, to the floor.

Something about being in his house, in his room, his most private place, made me weak. It was one thing to make love with him at my apartment, but being in a world that was totally his was a whole new ballgame. I stepped closer to him, pressing my body suggestively to his. “I believe you do,” I rasped, my hands going to his belt. This time he didn’t stop me, and it was on the floor within seconds. He tackled my neck with wet, hot kisses, before capturing my mouth. He ripped my blouse open and tossed it to the floor.

“I hope that wasn’t expensive,” he said against my collarbone.

“Don’t worry about it,” I said, not even thinking that he’d just ripped a two hundred dollar blouse. I wanted him more than I ever had before, and I wouldn’t care about anything else until I’d had him, until we’d both been satisfied.

“You have no idea what you do to me,” he said afterwards, rolling onto his side, bringing me with him. My body still hummed with pleasure as I laid in his arms, gently stroking my fingertips over his chest. “I didn’t think I could love you any more than I already did, but now, it’s gone to new levels that I don’t understand.”

I grinned as I nipped his chin. “Sex will do that to a person,” I teased.

He shook his head. “It’s not the sex,” he said, looking at me seriously. “It’s more than that. It’s everything about tonight, you meeting my mum, seeing my home, it just did something to me, and I couldn’t get enough of you.”

I smiled. “I’m sure you feel that way about all the girls you introduce to your mother,” I said, resting my head on his chest again.

“Not like this,” he said, tipping my face up so he was looking into my eyes. The love and tenderness I saw there was startling. “This is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. More intense.”

I shifted so I was facing him, propping my elbows on his chest. “Really?” I said, hoping it wasn’t just the aftermath of orgasm talking.

He nodded and began stroking my back. “When you touched me on the plane earlier, the first thing I wanted to do was take you back into the loos and make love to you,” he said. “And if it had been anyone else, I would have. But I couldn’t disrespect you like that, you know?”

I grinned. “I wish you had’ve,” I teased.

“Charlie, I’m serious,” he said, his dark eyes shining at me. “You are so beautiful, and you mean so much to me, I couldn’t just have sex with you in a toilet. You deserve better than that, and I intend to give it you. I loved watching you with my mother, seeing how graceful and elegant you were with her, even when she started to grill you.”

“She didn’t grill me,” I said, smiling.

“She asks all of my girlfriends if they want to be in films,” he said lightly. “She wants to know if they’re with me for me or for what I could do for their careers. When you said you had no interest in acting, it made her look at you more seriously, because she knew you didn’t have any ulterior motives. The fact that she respected you enough to open up to you really touched me. It reinforced just how special you really are, and how much I love you.”

I looked at him for a moment, tears in my eyes. He was always loving and sweet, especially after lovemaking, but this was different. It felt like he was pouring his heart out to me, and I was eager to accept it, to kiss him, to caress him, to thank him for such beautiful words.

“Orlando,” I said, cuddling down into the crook of his arm, my face buried in his neck as the tears started to slide slowly down my face. “My whole life I’ve dreamed of being in love with a wonderful man who would cherish me and treat me well, and you’ve fulfilled every one of those dreams, and then some.” I kissed him briefly. “Meeting your mother sort of cemented our relationship, told me that I wasn’t just a casual fling to be shoved aside when something better came along.”

He tensed. “What would ever give you the idea that you were?” he said, forcing me to look up at him.

I shrugged. “I told you when we met that I didn’t want to be just another notch on some actor’s belt, and I meant it, but somewhere deep inside I guess I sort of resigned myself to being just that. It may not have been a one-night stand, but I figured it would run its course, and the novelty would wear off, and you would move on. Let’s face it, sweetheart, you could have almost any woman in the world. It’s a bit of a mystery to me why you want to be with me.”

“Charlie, even before I loved you, I knew this wasn’t going to be just a one-off, that it would be something real and special, otherwise, I wouldn’t have made the decision to spend my two weeks in Toronto with you,” he said, lightly caressing my cheek. “I would have had my way with you at the hotel that first day, and probably never called afterwards.”

“You’ve done that?” It didn’t seem like something he would do.

“Unfortunately, yes,” he said, a hint of sadness in his voice. “It’s not something I would do again, but when I was first starting out, I’ll admit, I used my career to get laid.” He sighed. “But it was always so empty, so meaningless, and I couldn’t wait to get whoever the girl was out of my bed and go back to my friends.”

“What’s changed? Why’d you stop?”

“I decided I wanted more. You’ve become so much more than my lover, darling,” he said gently, his chocolate eyes intent on my face. “You’re my best friend, something I’ve never experienced with a woman before. You know, when I’m on the set sometimes, funny things happen, and all I want to do is drop whatever I’m in the middle of and call you, just to share it with you.” I noticed his eyes were a little shiny. “When I’m done Pirates, I have some time off. I want to spend it with you, to have the time that we deserve to have together.” He seemed so resolute, so serious.

“I can think of nothing better,” I said, leaning up to kiss him. “But I’ll still be in New York then, remember?”

“So that’s where I’ll be,” he said firmly. “You won’t be doing Wicked forever, and when you’re done, we’ll come home to England.”

“Until the next movie comes along,” I said, hating myself for not being able to revel in this. “We don’t know where you’ll end up next.”

“I don’t have anything lined up after Pirates, other than some more shooting in St. Vincent’s over the summer,” he said, shifting onto his side, facing me. “I won’t have another project until after that’s finished. We’ll make plans for then when the time comes.”

I pressed myself against him and kissed his shoulder lightly. “Yes, I guess we will,” I said, smiling to myself. “We’ll take this as it comes.” I repeated that to myself over and over as Orlando reached up to turn off the light, and we settled in to sleep.

* * *

Orlando woke me the next day by practically jumping on the bed. I rolled over to look at the clock, saw that it was only just after noon, and pulled the blanket over my head again. Then I bolted upright and looked around. There were beautifully wrapped presents on the bed, dressers, and nightstand. It looked like Santa’s Workshop had exploded in the room.

“Merry Christmas, love,” Orlando said, leaning over to kiss me as he handed me a cup of coffee.

I leaned back against the head board of the bed and smiled at him. “Merry Christmas, Orlando,” I said. “What is all of this?” I gestured at the gifts around me. There must have been 15 at least.

“Your Christmas presents,” he said, grinning.

“All of them? Honey, this is too much.”

He shook his head as he handed me a present wrapped in bright yellow paper. “I would’ve done more, but I didn’t have time.”

I took the present and carefully removed the gorgeous paper. Inside was a music box, with my picture on it, dressed as Elphaba, and when I opened the lid, it played “As Long As You’re Mine”. Tears filled my eyes as I looked up at him. “This is amazing,” I breathed, setting it on the bed and crawling over to him so I could hug him. “Orlando, I love it.”

He kissed my ear. “I’m glad. I got the picture from Lisa, and then had it made here in England. Mum picked it up and gave it to me yesterday while you were in the loo.”

“It’s quite possibly the best present I’ve ever been given,” I said, sitting back in my spot on the bed. He handed me another gift, this time in dark red paper. I opened the small box to reveal a gorgeous Cartier watch, with a white gold band, and diamonds where the numbers should be. It was small and delicate, and absolutely beautiful.

“Why don’t you just come over here and sit with me?” Orlando suggested as I crawled over to him again. He pulled me into his lap, and gave me another gift.

I spent the next half an hour or so opening all of the presents he’d spread around the room. There were a lot of beautiful clothes, things I would never have bought for myself because they were too expensive, and a few other little things, like my favourite bubble bath and a manicure set, things he knew I’d been meaning to buy. I felt so spoiled as I sat amidst all of his gifts, with him watching me. When I had opened everything, I got up off of his lap and went to my suitcase. I had his gifts all neatly tucked away, but I knew they were nowhere near as many as what he’d given me. I’d been shopping for him since I’d received my first Wicked paycheque, and I hoped what I’d chosen could live up to what he’d given me. It all came down to, what do you get for someone who already has everything?

I pulled out the four or five gifts I’d bought for him, and went back to the bed. I set all of my new things aside and put the presents in front of him. “Your turn,” I said, kissing him lightly. “They’re not as extravagant as what you gave me, but I hope you like them.” I grinned. “We’re not all millionaires, you know.” I winked at him.

He smiled up at me as I stood beside the bed. “Whatever you give me, I’m sure I’ll love, Charlie,” he said, taking my hand and pulling me into his lap again, so I was leaning back against his chest. With his chin resting on my shoulder, he picked up the first gift, wrapped in Santa Claus paper. He ripped the paper off to reveal the small velvet ring box. This was the most expensive of his gifts, and the one that required the most thought. I’d almost decided against buying it, because I wasn’t sure what he would think of a ring so soon. But then I’d looked at the one he’d given me, sitting proudly on my left hand, and had decided to go ahead with it.

He opened the box and pulled out the platinum band. I’d spent hours on the Internet to get the picture right for the engraver, as it said “As Long As You’re Mine” in Elvish, and on the inside of the band, it said “Love always, Charlie” in English. I guess we’d been on the same wavelength with the song, since it was so special to both of us. I waited for his response.

He turned it over in his hands for a minute, reading the script, then slipped it on his left hand. I turned in his lap so my legs were wrapped around his waist, and I was facing him.

“I love it, darling,” he said, kissing me deeply.

“It’s not too cheesy?” I said as he looked down at the ring again.

“Not at all,” he said, kissing me again. “It’s perfect.”

“You don’t have to wear it on your left hand,” I said. “We don’t want to start engagement rumors.”

“I don’t care,” he said, his hands sliding into my pajama top to graze the flesh at the small of my back. I could feel the ring on his hand, already warmed by his skin. “You wear yours on your left hand, so I will, too.”

Warmth rushed through me. He didn’t care if people thought we were engaged. It had only been a few months, and we were already at the point where the thought of marriage didn’t freak him out. I couldn’t process that in my mind.

“Is this something we should be talking about?” he said, when I didn’t say anything.

I looked into his eyes and felt my heart lurch. “I don’t know,” I said softly, climbing off his lap and standing beside the bed. “Doesn’t it seem a bit soon?”

“Does it?” His eyes burned into mine when I looked down at him.

“I think so,” I said carefully. “I mean, it’s only been a couple of months.”

He sighed as he stood up to take me in his arms. “Maybe so, but does that matter?” he said into my hair. “Hasn’t it ever crossed your mind?”
“As the merest fantasy in the middle of the night, yes,” I said, drawing back to look up into his beautiful face. “I’ve never given it serious thought, though. To be honest, the idea is kind of scary.”

“How so?”

“I’m just starting my life on my own, Orlando,” I said, stepping out of his arms and going to my suitcase for some clothes. “I’m not ready to settle down and be married. I’m too young for that.” I sighed. “It may be something I’ll think about down the road, but for right now, I’m happy with the way things are.”

He sat down on the bed again, and didn’t say anything. I turned to look at him, my clothes in my hands. He was beautiful, his hair wild around his face, clad only in boxers, with his sun tattoo peeking over the top. I could seriously handle waking up to that for the rest of my life, but the thought was more than a little unnerving. I loved him, there was no doubt about that, but I couldn’t marry him, not yet.

I went over to the bed, moved the presents out of the way, and sat down beside him. “Orlando, please don’t be upset, okay?” I said, taking his hands in mine. “I just don’t want to jump into something, and then end up hating you in five years because we made a hasty decision and didn’t think things through.”

“I understand that,” he said, squeezing my fingers in his. He gave me a small smile. “I’m not asking you to marry me now, I just wanted to know that you’ve thought about it, because I know I have.”

“You have?”

“Of course,” he said, putting his arm around me and cuddling me against his side. “I love you more than I’ve ever loved a woman in my life, and I think it would be the best decision I’ll ever make to make you my wife. But I want you to be ready, to feel the same way about it that I do. Take all the time you need, darling, I’ll be here when you’re ready.”

I kissed his arm lightly. “Thank you,” I said softly. “Now that I know you’re thinking about it, I’ll give it some more thought. I have to admit, I’m still in that stage where I want to pinch myself every time you tell me you love me. I’m not sure if that’s entirely normal.”

He grinned. “Why?” he said. “I feel the same way about you.”

“Why would you ever feel that way about me?” I said, straddling his lap and running my hands over his chest. “I’m not the one with my face plastered all over the world, with most of the female population in love with me. I’m just me, plain and simple, nothing too terribly special.”

“I’m not either, you know.” He kissed my nose.

“Are you kidding me? You’re amazing in every sense of the word. I mean, you’re loving, and sweet, and caring, and smart, and talented, and sexy as hell. You’re the most important person in my life, as scary as that is.”

He kissed me deeply, his tongue sweeping into my mouth as he pulled me tighter to him. I relaxed against him and let him cradle me in his arms, as the kiss intensified. I knew in the back of my mind that we had places to be, but I didn’t care. I only wanted to be right where I was, with Orlando, in his arms, showing him how much I loved him.

Before we could get too far, however, the phone rang. Orlando groaned and reached over to the nightstand to answer it. “Hello?” he said, his one arm still around me.

I detached myself from him and went to shower, figuring if I didn’t, we wouldn’t get out of bed that day. I grabbed my robe from my suitcase and went into the bathroom.

When I came out, Orlando was sitting on the bed still, opening the rest of his presents. It wasn’t much, just a gorgeous navy cashmere sweater I’d thought would look amazing on him, a thick-banded watch, with a Velcro closure and a huge face, just the kind he loved, a framed 8×10 photo of me at the Wicked opening, which he’d requested, and a CD Nick had had made of some of our big numbers from the show, complete with case art from the pictures Lisa had put in my scrapbook.

“Do you like everything?” I asked, going over to him, in my robe, with a towel around my head. He had the softest towels I’d ever seen. “You’re impossible to buy for, you know.”

He looked up at me and smiled. “I love them,” he said, standing up and pulling me into his arms. “Thank you, darling.” He kissed my lips gently.

“Who was on the phone?” I said, stepping away and going to the clothes I’d laid out on the bed.

“Mum,” he said, pulling his own clothes out of the closet. “She wanted to know what time we’re going over there today. I told her around four o’clock. Is that okay?”

I nodded. “It’s fine.” I checked my new watch as I put it on. It was after one o’clock, which meant it was only six in the morning at Dad’s. I’d have to wait a little longer to call him. “I’m starving. Do you mind if I make some breakfast? Or lunch, as the case may be?” I grinned.

“Not at all,” he said. “I’ll shower and join you in a few minutes.” He kissed me and went into the bathroom, while I went downstairs into the kitchen to start breakfast. I put some bacon and eggs in a frying pan, then went back upstairs into the bedroom to take the towel off my head. While I was drying my hair with the towel, the phone rang again. Without thinking, I reached over and answered it. “Hello?”

“Uh, is Orlando there?” It was a female voice, and it didn’t sound British.

“He’s in the shower,” I said slowly. “Can I take a message and have him call you back?”

“Who is this?”

“Charlie, who’s this?”

“Kate.” I froze and she continued. “I just wanted to wish him a Merry Christmas.”

“Okay, no problem,” I said, trying to slow my racing heart. I knew he had ex-girlfriends, I knew she was one of them, I just didn’t expect her to call while I was there. Jealousy was rising up in me, but I pushed it aside. “I’ll tell him you called.”

“I’m sure you will,” she said, somewhat snottily. She hung up. I sat and stared at the phone for a few seconds before hanging it up and going back into the kitchen to check on the food.