True Love Never Dies 34/?
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Summary: The story is about Camilla/Sofie. She has an opportunity to visit London after several years. She is there on an assignment and also to meet some new friends. However, destiny wants something more when she meets an old friend that causes her to have to confront the memory loss resulting from a surgery done a few years back. Not possessing any memory of the old friend or what sort of relationship they might have had, she only knows that she has seen him lately in films.
Previous Chapter; Intro-1, Chapter 2-3, Chapter 4-5, Chapter 6-7, Chapter 8-9, Chapter 10-11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27, Chapter 28, Chapter 29, Chapter 30, Chapter 31, Chapter 32, Chapter 33,
*Chapter 34*
The food was great and I really could understand why we had went to the restaurant before. After a moment I told Orlando that I would rather talk about my personal things alone with him, than there where anyone could hear me. I was scared for myself how I would react, somehow I guessed that after a little while my tears would start to run and that would have been awkward at the restaurant.
Probably understanding some of how I was feeling Orlando started to tell little about the time he been in New Zeeland, what the hobbits, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean and he had done. He seemed to concentrate on telling things with Dominic and Billy. Talking about the pranks, the surfing, parties and made him smile and relax. A few times he laughed, and the lighter mood rubbed of on me, so I had to laugh too. It felt good, and allowed me feel closer to him and his friends as I'd met two of them.
He went on to tell a few more short stories from other places he been to filming and the latest in Morocco. He mentioned a black dog that he had become very fond of, that he was now trying to adopt. I got a quick picture of Orlando and a dog, which he had had in Canterbury.
"Didn't you have a dog? What happen to… it?" I broke into his story about the new dog.
"Yes, Maude. She was nice, but as everyone will do eventually, she got old and she died a few years ago."
"I'm sorry."
Orlando shrugged, not wanting to linger on it and instead he asked if we wanted to eat desert.
"I think I'm quite satisfied. Actually I've eaten more than I thought I would."
"Are you ready to leave then?"
I said that I was and Orlando called the waiter for the bill. When he'd done that, he stood quickly and helped me up. I smiled.
"What do you say if we walk some before we take a taxi home?" Orlando asked as we got outside.
"That would be nice. I haven't moved around much today." If I had wanted to say anything more I let it fade out.
He took my hand, as we started walking. After some time he got me to stop at a few places for him to take photos. I felt relaxed enough to let him and also managed a smile for him. After an hour, we both came to an agreement that it was time to get that taxi home, and it was decided that we would go to his apartment.
The evening had become a really good one. I liked the restaurant, and I loved the company even more. The hour we had walked around in the city, and taken pictures was very nice. I hadn't felt this way in a long time, especially with someone who might be interested in me, or me in him. To have a relationship was way down on my list of things to achieve. Through the years it had jumped up and down, but first, I needed to concentrate on getting back to my old self, and my work, which with this trip seemed to be going well. I think I had decided before I went to London that if everything turned out well, I might be ready to test the possibility of taking a chance to see if there was a man out there somewhere for me.
Now being with a man was great and I felt so at ease that I didn't need to worry. I could just be myself. The closest I'd been to that feeling was when I worked out, went swimming or lost myself in a good film, but all those I did alone. When I was with others, I know I kept my guard up, and I put that down as a result of the brain surgery and the memory loss. There were times I really tried to get everything back to normal and just live as I supposed to, but that was hard when what I lived through was always there. I felt like there were too many situations in which I had to keep alert so as not to react in the wrong way and expose the fact that I wasn't quite hundred percent well. Being around people made me afraid I could not fix any mistakes I may make. It also made me tired, which left me preferring my own company. Somehow all of my insecurities seemed to fade into the background when I was with Orlando. He gave me a security that I had not thought I would ever find or feel again.
"Sofie, we're here." Orlando's voice came through my ear.
I looked around, saw that we were in a taxi and it had stopped outside a big white house. I had been so busy thinking how happy I was feeling that I hadn't even realised we had got into a taxi. It would have never happened if it had been with anyone else, unless I had drunk too much, or was having one of my migraine attacks. I smiled and took the hand Orlando reached out to me as he helped me out of the taxi.
When the taxi had driven away he asked how I was feeling. I said fine.
"You sure, you seemed to be elsewhere."
"I'm sorry. I just thought about how nice this is." I leaned in a little to his arms.
"Good."
He led the way into his apartment. It was a nice one. Bigger than the one he had last time, but not as big I thought he could afford to have now, though that didn't matter. If it was enough for him why would I complain. Mine wasn't large either, probably smaller.
From the hall I saw the kitchen and the living room. I went into the later and one of the first things I noticed was the flowers on what I assumed to be the dinner table. It was a large bouquet with red, blue and white carnations. Looking around the room told me they were the only living flowers. No potted plants; but thinking about it I understood why there were none. Being away from my home for x amount of time would probably have killed any of mine.
The room did look good. There was no mistake that it was a man living there. Most obvious things were the TV and stereo placed in a way so they became the centrepiece. There was a coach, bookshelf, table, and a few lamps. One corner was what I assumed to be the dining area. What I didn't see as much of were the bits and pieces that were so common in a female home. There were a few paintings, both up on the wall and leaning against one. In the bookshelf I saw that there were not only books.
Orlando didn't say anything at first. He went to the dinner table and put his camera down and then probably watched me. I had no idea if there would be anything here that I should have recognized. Nothing stood out. For me it was like any other home I came to visit. I had no idea who had painted the pictures. There where a few photographs, and looking back at them I think I recognize one. I had seen something similar on the Internet, but the name of the photographer evaded me.
My curiosity was up, and I went to have a closer look at the photo. It was a black and white study of Elijah Wood. He was sitting on the ground and it was snowing. Not needing to say anything, I moved onto the next one. It was of a dark haired woman standing in front of a cathedral. It looked familiar, but I wasn't sure if I been there or not. The woman had a few similarities of Orlando, so it had to be his mother or sister.
The next photo was a nature picture. It looked like it was faded, but you could still see the special light the photographer had captured. It was a stone wall in front of a meadow. It had an opening where a wooden gate was half opened. You could see that at least one of the planks was broken. At the gate stood a big tree and its shadow went over the wall. I liked the photo. I could have looked at the other picture a long time.
Orlando then decided to break the silence, "Do you recognize the place?"
"You know that I never been here before, so how would I?" I said, as I only registered a few words.
"I don't mean the apartment. I asked about the photo. Do you remember it?"
"Have I been there?" I asked. Looking at it, it could have been anywhere, just a nice nature shot. It wasn't at all familiar to me.
"Yeah we were there a few times. It is outside Canterbury. You liked the countryside a lot, so every time you came to visit me we took at least one day away from the city."
Learning that it must mean something made me go and study it closer.
"Do you want anything to drink?" he said next.
I turned towards where Orlando stood. I looked at myself, seeing I still had my jacket and shoes on. If I'd been home both would had been left in the hall.
"Maybe a cup of tea would be nice." I finally answered him.
He left the room and I took off my jacket, putting it on the armrest of the sofa, and my shoes below. I let my eyes travel around the room again and this time I noticed that one of the things in the bookshelf was an old shoebox. It was clearly the one thing that didn't fit at all in the room. My curiosity drew me there and without moving the lid I hoped to see what was in it. No such luck.
I moved away when I heard Orlando coming. I felt ready for some tea. The walk, talk and time that had passed since the dinner had made me thirsty. After giving me one cup and putting his own down on the table, he went to the stereo with a smudge smile.
Within a couple of minutes listing to the music I realised that I recognized what he had put on. It wasn’t hard, the tunes were from my favourite band, and they were one thing that I always remembered. Before my operation, I've would probably have been able to know which song it was just by the intro, but now I needed little more time.
Do you mean this horny creep, Set upon weary feet, Who looks in need of sleep, That doesn't come
This twisted, tortured mess, This bed of sinfulness, Who's longing for some rest, And feeling numb
I moved my foot to the beat, and in my head I think I was certain which of Depeche Mode's CD's the song was from, and if I was remembering correctly, the first track would be Barrel Of A Gun. Later on the CD it would be one of my favourite songs. It was easy to get lost in the music and best for me was it had always soothed me. I sank back on the sofa and it felt very right.
Suddenly I felt the cup I was holding being taken from me. Looking down at it, I saw there wasn't too much tea left, but it would have been enough to wet my lap if Orlando hadn't taken it from my relaxed hand.
"Sorry." I whispered.
"Nothing to worry about. You're tired, I should probably take you back to the hotel." Orlando stated.
"No. I think I just got little lost in the music. I love Depeche." I sat up straighter. "It is actually one thing I remember since before the surgery and I know I've seen them live."
"I know that we did listen to them a lot, especially this one, but I have to confess that I tried to avoid anything with them, as they brought back memories of us…" Orlando swallowed. "it often felt bad as it reminded me what I lost." He finished and then went quiet for the rest of the song that was playing.
When I didn't say anything he continued, "I found the CD together with some other things in a box that I saved from our time. Yesterday I went and retrieved it from my mothers house, thinking maybe some of it would help you, or at least show you that I'm not lying about to know you."
"It's not always a help. You saw how it was with the photo. At least I can't control it." I paused. "Though it would be great if we tried, but as you mentioned. I'm tired and would rather do it tomorrow."
"Of course. I don't want to push you. You tell me when you feel ready." Orlando put a hand on my arm, "You tell me what you want and I will go after that, and I really hope you dare to tell me if anything makes you uncomfortable."
I put my free hand over his and looked at him as I replied. "I will, and I would like to get to the hotel for some sleep now."
Orlando was caring and called a taxi, which he paid for when it arrived to pick me up. He got me to promise to call him when I was ready to meet him, as I told him I had the work meeting next day.
As soon as I was inside my room I undressed and went right to bed. It didn't take long before I was asleep with the picture of Orlando and the tune of Depeche Mode.
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