The Student

Chapter 13 - Just Another Rebound Girl

It was a beautiful day. No, I can't say that because that would be wrong by a thin margin. It was the most gorgeous day that Earth has ever witnessed. Okay, that was pretty close. Anyway, it was a great day.

I slowly slid out from the protective circle of my new lover's arms and merely stood beside the bed, watching him. He truly looked younger now. Almost a teen-ager, but never 17. He was a sleeping angel. My own angel.

He shifted in his sleep and the words `Joanne' and `Never again' slipped past his lips. My face darkened and I frowned. Why would he dream of her after what we had shared? After the hours of love and passion?

I groaned, raising a hand to my forehead. I was already having `morning after' regrets. This was not a good thing. Shifting again, Orlando brought an arm to the place where I had so recently lain and stroked the sheet lovingly. A small smile drifted across his sleeping face and I smiled with him.

Regrets were pointless anyway.

Turning, I looked around the room, and smiled.

There was a verandah type thing going on to the east of the room, complete with sliding glass doors and intricate metal railings. The view of the city was almost as good as Viggo's, but without the height. He had a nice view of Cook's Strait though, and even at, I glanced at the clock, 11:30 in the morning, the Interisland ferry was up and chugging. I giggled. We had slept away most of the morning, and Orlando was threatening to finish it off for me.

He had very sparse furnishings. A desk was set up next to the bed and across the room, next to the sliding closet doors, a TV and video rack had been assembled for his easy viewing. I took a quick peek at his selection of films and was very impressed. "Braveheart" sat placidly next to "Beavis and Butthead do America" while "The Crow" looked like it could have kicked "The Quick and The Dead"'s butt right next to it.

The whole room sang of Orlando. His diploma from Guildhall, which was an acting school I assumed, was framed over his desk, which was cluttered with some magazines, random British CD's, and a suspiciously familiar red shirt that I could have sworn I was wearing the night before.
Clothes were scattered like raindrops from the first spring storm and I could tell that the guy loved casual. had had never really seen him in anything `casual' before. Except for those first two days . . . I smiled gently, thinking of him when he had walked in when I was naked.

I picked up a pair of random jeans with my foot and looked at the label. Gap. Very good choice.

Throwing them back to the floor haphazardly, I stole to his closet. Sneaking a glimpse over my shoulder to check on the sleeping man, and ignoring thelty lty voice in the back of my head, I rolled the door open and gasped.

The man had more shoes than I did! Tennis shoes, track shoes, dress shoes, casual shoes. He had them all. I was really quite jealous. And he must have had at least twelve suits in there. Knowing the entertainment business well enough, I knew that he had probably gotten them for free from random designers, but damn!

Closing the door gently, I crept to his desk next to see what else I could discover about my new beau.

The CD's were mostly bands that had never made it across the Atlantic. Jamiroquai, Drum'n'bass, and Ute Lemper stared back at me, almost accusingly, and I felt bad enough abut going through his stuff, but the angry music was enough. Placing the plastic cases back in their rightful place, I picked up my top and threw it to the floor by my pants . . . and my shoes . . . and my underwear. We really had been quite wicked.

I turned back to the bed, and jumped a mile when I saw Orlando watching me with a small half-smile on his lips. I was caught, but he didn't seem to mind. He merely held out his hand to me, beckoning with his eyes. He didn't even have to say anything, and I was drawn to him.

He pulled me down onto the bed in a smooth, fluid motion, and right into his arms. I gasp lightly at this sense of grace and loss of control. He's taken over my mind and my body, and I am not about to let it end.

His mouth dipped to mine and he kissed me gently. This was not the frenzied kiss of the night before. Merely a kiss that a prince would give his princess. I feel like Cinderella. Kind of.

He lowered me to his mattress, still messy with last night's lovemaking. And there, in the wrinkled sheets and missing comforters, he made slow passionate love to me. Well, I helped a little.

It was in the moments after all life was bourn again, and existence was reaffirmed that I found myself completely at peace with the world.

My head lay on his shoulder. I could hear the steady beat of his heart beneath his skin and I could feel the slow rise and fall of his chest. It was peace, torn apart then built up from the foundations.

"Laura?"

His voice whispered softly into my ear. It was the first time he had spoken to me that morning, and the sound of his voice was rough and vaguely distant.

I tilted my head up, and looked at him from under his chin. "Yes Orlando?" It was our game. He would address me by my full name, no nick-names, no pet-names. Just Laura. And I would reciprocate.

"Can we stay like this forever?"

I giggled, burying my face in his chest in sheer madness. "I don't know. Don't you think that they might get a little upset over at the set when you stop coming in to film?"

There was a complete change in the atmosphere then. It was like a hurricane had blown in and swept away the gentle, loving man in my arms. He practically threw me off of him. "SHIT!" He jumped from the bed, landing on the floor with a mighty thump. "I was supposed to be on set at 8 for hair and make-up!" He launched himself to the other side of the room and pulled on the closest clothing he had, a simple pair of jeans and a tee-shirt.

I laid on the bed, confused and dazed. "I can't believe I missed that! Oh my GOD I am such an ass!' He tore open his closet and pulled out some shoes which he hopped into. "Oh my God! Oh my GOD! They're going to fire me!"

I frowned, the creases in my forehead almost painful. "But, I thought you had the day off. I thought that we were-"

He cut me off. "No! I have to be at the set, Now." He stalked to the door, without looking at me, and I started to get angry.

"Okay! Let's just leave the woman who LOVES you, and run off behind the same excuse that you've hidden behind for the last month and a half!" I jumped from the bed and, after wrapping a sheet around my naked body, followed him out into the living room. I had no idea where this anger was coming from, but it was exploding in front of me and I had no control. "Lets just run away AGAIN!" He reached down for his jacket, but I was quicker and picked it up, holding it like a ransom to my chest. He growled, low in his throat, a deep, guttural noise.

"Give me my jacket Laura. I need to go."

I shook my head. `No! I will not let you just storm out of here God dammit! We have something, and I won't let you leave like this!" He turned his back to me in a huff, almost sulking like a schoolboy. "Just seconds ago, you were talking about forever and love. And now, this!? I DO NOT THINK SO!" I was putting my foot down. His own fury at his inadequacy about the filming was pissing me off royally.

He whirled inches from my face. "I thought you understood Laura! I thought that you knew what a career was to an actor! I guess you don't know anything" Orli spit the words out in my face, and I backed up a step, not expecting this anger from him. The jacket fell from my numb, surprised fingers. He threw his hands into the air for effect and picked up the jacket. "You let me down Laura." He gave me one hard glare before yanking open the door and storming out.

I was left in his living room, still dazed and even more confused. He had hurt me.

It dawned on me that we had just had our first fight. Right after we had made lo- I crumpled at the floor. Maybe I was just the rebound girl. I felt the tears rising, threatening to consume me, but tried to hold back. When the door remained closed for five minutes, and I decided that he wasn't coming back, I broke into sobs of pain and betrayal.

Just the rebound girl. Just the rebound girl.