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We went into the kitchen at the back of the house, as most of the noise seemed to be coming from there. I could hear the television blaring from the basement and knew there must be a movie on for the little kids.

“Can we help with anything?” I said as I opened the door. Aunt Tess was standing at the counter, tossing a salad, her small frame covered in black from head to toe. Her blond curls were pulled back in a ponytail on top of her head, and she was laughing at someone in front of her. When I came in, she looked up.

“Charlie!” she practically squealed, rushing over to hug me. “You dad told me you almost didn’t make it!” She squeezed me tight to her, and I noticed her vanilla perfume. I loved that smell. “Oh my,” she said suddenly, stepping back from me. “And who might this be?” She was staring over my shoulder at Orlando.

“Aunt Tess, this is Orlando, a friend of mine,” I said as they shook hands. I knew from the look on her face that she recognized him. “Orlando, this is my aunt, Tessa Madison.”

“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” he said, handing her the champagne. “Happy birthday.”

Aunt Tess blushed like a schoolgirl. I fought the urge to laugh at the expression on her face. “Uh, thank you, honey,” she said finally, taking the champagne to the refrigerator. “I don’t mean to stare, but you are very attractive, Orlando,” she said. I just about died.

He laughed, making everyone in the room look at us. “Thank you, Ms. Madison,” he said, colouring slightly.

“Tess, honey, Tess,” she said over her shoulder as she went back to the salad. “Charlie, babe, your dad’s downstairs if you want to go say hello. Might be a good idea to get that out of the way.” She gave me a pointed look.

I set the birthday card on the counter and grabbed Orlando’s arm. “I think you’re right,” I said, my stomach churning nervously. “Let’s get this over with.”

Orlando followed me downstairs. My younger cousins were gathered around a Disney movie on Tess’s big screen TV, and my dad was standing by the couch, talking with my uncles. “Wait here,” I whispered to Orlando as I went over to my dad.

“Hello sweetheart,” Dad said as he hugged me. “I’m glad you made it. Where’s your friend?” He had that glint in his eye, and I knew what he was thinking.

“No third degree tonight, okay?” I said, my hand on his arm. “Orlando’s really sweet, and he doesn’t need to be raked over the coals for being a friend of mine.”

“If he acts like a gentleman, I’ll treat him like one,” Dad said, taking a sip of the coffee he was holding.

“I hope this one’s not like the last one, sugar,” Uncle Dave said, giving me a look. “We certainly don’t need any of that tonight.”

“He’s not, I promise.” I went back to where Orlando was standing, somewhat awkwardly, in the doorway. “You okay?” I asked when I saw his face. He was sort of pale.

“That could be a problem,” he said, pointing slightly over my shoulder.

I looked to where he was pointing. A gigantic matted Lord of the Rings movie poster hung on the wall opposite us, depicting the various members of the Fellowship of the Ring, of which Orlando was a part. I’d forgotten that Aunt Tess loved the trilogy and suddenly felt very stupid for bringing Orlando with me. I didn’t want him to feel awkward. I tried to shrug it off.

“That looks nothing like you,” I whispered, stroking my hand lightly down his arm. I wanted to take the worry from his face, even though I wasn’t sure what he was worried about. “I’m sure no one will notice.”

“Your aunt did,” he said, looking down at me.

“She’s a bit of a freak,” I said, smiling in what I hoped was a reassuring way. “I don’t know if anyone else here has even seen the movies. Don’t worry.”

I tugged gently on his arm as I took him over to my dad. I was far more worried about that than about his face being on the wall.

“Dad, this is Orlando Bloom,” I said, standing to the side, between them. Orlando extended his hand and smiled. Dad shook it.

“Orlando, my dad, Mr. Madison.”

“Very nice to meet you, sir,” Orlando said, and I could tell he was trying to be charming.

“Charlotte must think very highly of you, to bring you here,” Dad said, no expression on his face. I saw Uncle Dave and Uncle Damon exchange glances. “I hope the feeling is mutual.”

Orlando looked briefly at me before answering. “Yes, sir, Charlie and I get on very well, and I consider her a friend.”

I looked from one to the other, waiting for someone to say something. Before I could break the silence, I felt a hand on my arm, and I was being pulled away. “I’ll be right back,” I called over my shoulder as Aunt Tess pulled me up the stairs.

“Happy birthday to me,” she said when we were back in the kitchen with the rest of the women. That was how it always went at these things, the men and kids in the basement, the women in the kitchen with the food. No one seemed to mind.

“What do you mean?” I asked as she tossed me a stick of butter and gestured to the potatoes on the stove.

“You brought me Legolas,” she hissed, setting the strainer in the sink. “I knew you loved me, kid, but Jesus.” She laughed. So did my grandmother, Aunt Gina, and Aunt Tess’s friends, Cori, Jamie, and Marcy. I blushed. “So do I get to keep him?” Aunt Tess teased as I drained the potatoes.

“You’d have to ask him that,” I said softly. “I didn’t bring you Legolas, silly. I brought a friend to dinner, that’s all.”

“A very famous friend,” Aunt Gina pointed out. She took a drag off her cigarette. “You’ve been keeping secrets, my dear.”

“No, it’s not like that,” I said. I put the butter and milk in the potatoes and began mashing them. “I only met him two weeks ago, and he’s staying for a few days during the Toronto Film Festival. It’s not big deal.” I shrugged, but didn’t look up. Aunt Tess and Aunt Gina knew me too well, and I knew they would know what I was thinking about him.

“Is it a good idea to leave him downstairs with your father?” Marcy asked. I knew she had a crush on my dad, and I thought it was cute.

“I should probably go check on them,” I agreed, handing the potatoes to Grandma. “I’ll be right back.”

When I went downstairs, the men were sitting on the sofas, talking quietly. The movie must have ended, because my cousins were playing Candyland on the carpet and the TV was off. I sat next to my dad and took a sip of his coffee.

“Would you like a little coffee with that sugar?” I asked as I grimaced and handed it back to him. “Dad, that’s gross.”

He laughed. “You mind your own business,” he said.

“So how’s everything going down here?” I asked, looking at Orlando. He seemed very relaxed, sitting across from us, his one leg crossed over the other at the knee, a coffee cup in his hand.

“We’re fine, Charlie,” Dad said, patting my arm. “You don’t need to baby-sit.”

I grinned. “I just didn’t want to come back and find Orlando sprinting for the door, that’s all. You’re pretty scary sometimes, you know.”

Dad laughed. “Am I?”

“A bit, yes.”

“Good.” Everyone laughed.

“Charlie?” Deanna, my fourteen-year-old cousin, said from behind me. I hadn’t known she was even there. She looked sick.

“What’s up, baby?” I asked, smiling at her.

“Can I talk to you for a sec?”

“Sure, honey,” I said, getting up. “You guys behave,” I said over my shoulder as I followed Deanna.

“Are you okay, Dee?” I asked when we were safely upstairs in her room. She lived with Aunt Tess, but she was my Aunt Elaine’s daughter. Elaine had problems, and Deanna was much better off with Tess.

That’s when I noticed the walls of her room. Orlando was everywhere, in big posters, single-sheet pin-ups, and even little clippings. The last time I’d seen her room, she’d had pictures of Disney Princesses on the walls. I wasn’t prepared for this at all.

“You brought Orlando Bloom to the party,” she said, as if I didn’t already know. “How could you do that to me?”

I looked at her, dumbfounded. “Excuse me?” I said, for lack of anything else.

“I didn’t know he was coming, I would have looked better!” She was practically in tears. She was wearing simple blue jeans, a yellow t-shirt with a big orange flower on it, and white sneakers. I thought she looked cute, but apparently that’s not what she was going for.

“Honey, he won’t care what you’re wearing,” I said, before I could sensor myself. I knew that came out wrong, completely wrong. Tears welled in her eyes. “Okay, wait, that wasn’t what I meant,” I said quickly. “You look totally cute, and I’m sure he thinks so too.”

“Do you think so?” she asked, looking down at herself. “He’s such a hottie.”

“I know,” I laughed, sitting on her desk chair. “Believe me, baby, I know. I didn’t know you liked him, or I would have called and told you he was coming.”

“Are you going out with him?” she asked, a look of horror on her face, as though the idea had just occurred to her. I knew what teenage crushes were like, and I didn’t want to be the object of hate for stealing her dream man.

“No, he’s just a friend,” I said. “He’s here for a couple weeks, then he’s going right back where he came from.”

“Do you think he’d talk to me?” She looked so hopeful.

“Of course he will, silly,” I said, getting up to hug her. “He’s really nice, you just have to go up to him.”

“Should I change?”

“Not at all,” I said. “I like what you’re wearing.”

“Okay,” she said, somewhat hesitantly. “Can you introduce me? I can’t just go up to him and start talking.”

“Sure, honey, let’s go.”

We went back downstairs. I winked at Aunt Tess on the way by, and I’m pretty sure she knew what we’d been talking about. She grinned.

“Orlando,” I said, pulling Deanna toward him. “This is my cousin, Deanna.”

Being the gentleman he was, he stood up and kissed her hand. “Hello, Deanna,” he said, knowing full well she was terrified. “Would you like to sit down?” He gestured to the sofa. She sat, albeit very stiffly, beside him, and he joined her. I sat down with Dad again.

“Does Dee know him?” Dad whispered as we watched Orlando try to coax a conversation out of Deanna. “She looks like a deer caught in headlights, poor thing.”

I chuckled. “She knows of him,” I said. “Dad, look at Aunt Tess’s Lord of the Rings poster.”

“Why?”

“Just do it,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Anyone look familiar?”

“Holy crap,” Uncle Dave said, then lowered his voice when Deanna and Orlando looked over at him. “Is that him?” he hissed to me, leaning in so he could be heard. “The one with blonde hair and the bow?”

I nodded.

“That’s the guy Deanna’s been gushing about for a good month now,” Uncle Damon said, shaking his head. “Where did you meet him?”

I quickly ran through our meeting in New York, leaving out the more intimate moments for my dad’s sake. I knew the story would be much better when I told Aunt Tess and Aunt Gina later. I gave just the basics to the men.

“Dinner’s ready,” Grandma called from the top of the stairs. “Come and get it.”

While Dad and my uncles rounded up the kids, I snuck Orlando off to one side. “Thanks for that,” I said, watching Deanna go upstairs. She looked like she was floating on air. “I didn’t know she was a fan.”

He moved to hug me, then stopped himself and grinned instead. I knew Dad was still in the room. “She’s sweet, Charlie,” he said. “Your dad’s not as scary as I thought he would be, either.”

“I’m glad,” I said. “Calling him ‘Mr. Madison’ was a nice touch, by the way. Ramsey used to call him Paul, which he thought was disrespectful.”

“He’s right, it is,” Orlando said, his hands in his pants pockets. I wanted nothing more than to put them in my pockets instead, and the thought made me squirm a bit. “My mum taught me manners, you know, love.”

“Charlie? Are you coming?” Dad called, coming back over to us.

“Of course, Dad,” I said, smiling as I linked arms with him. Orlando followed us upstairs.