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Two weeks went by after Orlando and I made up, and nothing had yet to come of our decision to make an official announcement about us. Orlando’s publicity team had called me a few times to discuss what I could and couldn’t say to the press in the meantime, but I’d been in the theatre so much, I didn’t have to worry about running into reporters. We were having technical issues with the show, and I’d almost been dropped from the wires twice during tech rehearsals. The second time it happened, Nick was fuming, and I wasn’t much better.

Jacob, our head technician, came running out of the wings as soon as my feet were safely on the floor. I was shaking from head to toe, having just seen the floor coming at my face at an alarming speed. Nick was on Jacob’s heels, cursing a blue streak as they unhooked the wires.

“I’m not going up on that thing again until it’s fixed,” I said, moving away from the harness when it was off of me. “Last night I thought for sure I’d end up on my face. Nick, do something about it.”

“I don’t know what the problem is,” Jacob said, taking the harness and checking over the wires that were attached to it. “I’ll get up on the ladders and check the connections. I’m sorry, Charlie, it won’t happen again.”

“I hope not,” I said, still shivering. “I can’t be worrying about the wires giving out when I’m doing that song. It’s too much.”

“Fix it,” Nick spat, then took my arm and led me from the stage. “We’ll get you some coffee and you’ll be fine.”

I tried to smile. “Nick, that was terrifying,” I said quietly. “I don’t like heights to begin with, but that’s ridiculous.”

“It’ll be fixed for tonight, hon, don’t worry.” From the look on his face, I knew it would be.

Lisa came up to me in the dressing room as I grabbed my purse so I could go home for a few hours before having to come back for the show that night. “That was scary,” she said, putting her arm around me. I’d finally managed to stop shaking. “You okay?”

I nodded. “Yeah, they’d just better have it under control tonight, or I’m not going on that stupid harness,” I said. She followed me out of the dressing room, through the lobby, to the street. We walked the few blocks home.

There was a message waiting for me on the answering machine when we got there. “Charlie, it’s me,” came Orlando’s voice from the machine. I smiled as I looked through the mail. “I’m flying in for a couple days next week so we can get this whole announcement thing out of the way. I’ll call you tonight after the show. I love you.”

“That boy certainly wracks up the frequent flyer miles, doesn’t he?” Lisa teased, handing me a plate of carrots and cucumbers. She took a bite of her own carrot. “What announcement?”

“We’re doing an interview together,” I said, setting the plate down on the coffee table. There was an envelope in the mail pile that I didn’t expect. I opened it quickly, to reveal a summons to appear in court in Kitchener in February. I quickly scanned the letter, my stomach churning as I did so.

“What’s that?” Lisa asked, peeking over my shoulder. “Charlie, why do you need to go to court? Did you kill someone?”

I shook my head.

“Honey, you’ve gone so pale,” she said.

“I’m needed as a witness in a vandalism case,” I said, my throat dry. “My, uh, my ex-boyfriend broke into my apartment shortly before I moved here, and trashed the place.”

“Nice guy,” she said, crunching on some celery. “What do they need you for?”

“I don’t know,” I said, folding the letter up and putting it back in the envelope. “The list of charges here is pretty long, so I get the feeling it’s not just my case he’s being tried for.” I noticed a few domestic violence charges on the list. Maybe Ramsey would finally get what was coming to him for all the crap he’d put me through.

“Domestic violence?” Lisa stopped chewing her celery and stared at me. “Charlie, oh my God, did he, you know?”

“Afraid so,” I said, throwing the letter on the coffee table. “Twice.”

“He beat you? Really?” She looked horrified. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s over and done now,” I said, shrugging as I picked up my plate of veggies. “His current girlfriend must have pressed charges, thank goodness. Last time I saw her she had a couple of pretty nasty bruises.”

“Does Orlando know about this?”

“Yes,” I said, toying with a carrot. “I told him everything. He got a firsthand taste of Ramsey, then he saw Joanne’s bruises, so I didn’t really have a choice but to tell him. I guess I’m going home in February.”

“I guess so.” We munched our veggies in silence as I tried to process the fact that I was going to have to see Ramsey again, to face him in court as I talked about what he’d done to me. The thought made me feel sick to my stomach.

Between the summons and the wires not working right, I was pretty shaken up when I got to the theatre that night to perform. I tried not to think about any of it, and managed to push Ramsey from my mind, but the problem with the wires still terrified me. Luckily, nothing happened while I was suspended above the stage during “Defying Gravity”, and I was able to finally relax for the second half.

When Orlando called that night after I got home from work, I told him about the summons.

“Son of a bitch,” he cursed when I’d finished.

“No, sweetheart, it’s a good thing,” I said softly. “He’ll get the punishment he deserves. If they need me to tell my story a hundred times, I will, as long as it gets him put away.”

“Are you sure you want to go through this? They’re going to make you talk about what he did in detail. You know that, right?”

“I know,” I sighed. “But like I said, if that’s what it takes, that’s what I’ll do. He can’t be allowed to hurt anyone else ever again, Orlando.”

“Do you want me to be there?”

I paused for a second. He already knew what had happened, but he didn’t know every gory detail. I weighed that against having his face in the courtroom as a source of comfort. “Do you really want to hear every little detail?” I wanted to know if he could handle it.

“I want to be there for you,” he said firmly. “I can deal with the rest.”

“Then yes,” I said, smiling as tears filled my eyes. “I want you there, darling. Thank you.”

“You’re more than welcome,” he said. “I’m here when you need me, love.”

“I know. So when are you coming in next week?”

“I’ll fly in on Monday,” he said, excitement creeping into his voice. “I have to leave Wednesday night, to be back onset for Thursday.”

“When will we do the interview, and who will we do it with?”

“My team told me Tuesday, but I’m not sure who we’re talking to yet. We’ll know by the time I get there. Only three more days.”

“That’s right, it’s Thursday, isn’t it?” I laughed. “My days get so screwed up sometimes. It seems like each one is the same, except for Sundays when we just do the matinee, and Wednesdays when we do two shows.”

“You’re not working too hard, are you?”

I smiled at the concern in his voice. “Always, but I love it,” I said. “And we’re off for a few days at the end of the month, for Christmas, so it’s only a couple more weeks.”

“I’ve got a week off for Christmas,” he said. “Mum’s expecting us.”

“Don’t make me any more nervous than I already am,” I said, chuckling. “It looks like we have quite a bit to look forward to, doesn’t it?”

“Indeed, it does.” We chatted for awhile longer, then said good-bye. As I laid on my bed, looking up at the ceiling, I silently told myself it would all be okay. I just hoped it was true.

* * *

Orlando’s flight was due Monday afternoon, but unfortunately I couldn’t meet him at the airport. We’d been having more technical issues during the Sunday matinee, and I needed to be there so they could make adjustments and test the wires with my weight. Nick got more and more frustrated as the day went on, and by the time Orlando’s flight was in, I was a nervous wreck. They’d almost dropped me three more times in just a few hours.

“For crying out loud, Nick,” I gasped as I hung from the harness in mid-air, with two or three tech guys working above me and three more below me taking notes. “Are we almost done? I have things to do today, you know.” I was getting more than a little agitated.

“I hope so,” he said, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched from the orchestra pit. “But I’d rather take the time now than have you fall on your face tonight, wouldn’t you?”

“I think we’ve got it now,” Jacob said from above me. I looked up at him and my stomach rolled as I swayed on the wires. “We’re going to move you a bit, Charlie, to see what it does.”

They swung me to and fro, at every angle, all over the stage, and the wires held. I must say, I was vastly relieved when they put me back on solid ground and took my harness off. I checked my watch, and figured Orlando would be at my apartment anytime.

“Are we done?” I asked as I grabbed my bag and jacket from the side of the stage. “I have to get home.”

“Oh yes, that pretty boyfriend of yours is coming, isn’t he?” Nick teased, walking me down an aisle between the seats.

“As a matter of fact, he is, and I’d like to be home to meet him,” I said, allowing him to open the door for me. We went into the lobby. “We have to work out what’s going to happen with this interview tomorrow, before I come back here to work tonight.”

“Ah yes, the interview,” he said. “Make sure you plug the show, okay? We’ll take all the exposure we can get, since your little spat replaced the opening night reception photos that were worth a million dollars in free publicity. And don’t forget to tell them I’m the most gifted director you’ve ever worked with.” He winked at me and grinned.

I laughed. “I think you’re missing the point of this interview,” I teased. “But I’ll do what I can.” I hugged him briefly. “I’ll see you tonight.” I left the theatre and hurried the few blocks home.

“Is he here yet?” I asked as I let myself into the apartment. Lisa was sitting on the floor in the living room, the sofa pushed to one side, the coffee table on it, with about a hundred pictures spread around her. “What are you doing?” I stopped in the doorway.

“Sorting out these pictures,” she said as she put a small stack off to the side. “What took you so long?”

“They were messing with the wires again,” I said, gingerly stepping over some photographs to get to the kitchen. I threw my bag on the table and put the kettle on the stove. The December wind had really picked up and I felt chilled to the bone from my short walk. “We’re hoping I won’t lose altitude tonight, like I did yesterday.” I took my coat off. “I’m guessing Orlando isn’t here yet.”

“Nope,” she said. “He called about ten minutes ago, though. The plane landed, he’s on his way.”

“Good.” I took a mug from the cupboard and put a tea bag in it. “Do you want some tea or something?”

“No, thanks. Come look at these.”

I went into the living room. “What are they?” I asked, crouching down beside her. The pictures spread around us were various rehearsal photos, from when we’d first started Wicked. There were some from the music studio where we’d worked to learn the songs, some from the dance studio where we’d learned our choreography, and plenty from the table readings where we’d learned our lines. There were also a lot from the rehearsals on the stage, with us all in various stages of costuming. “Where did you get these?” I asked, picking up a small stack.

“Nick sent them over,” she said, shifting some pictures around. “I asked for them. Pretty neat, huh?” She picked up a photograph. “Should I hide this?” she teased, handing it to me.

The picture was of Sean and me, kissing in a rehearsal. I tried to smile, but couldn’t. “Yeah, you’d better put that away,” I said, handing it back to her. “I don’t want to start that crap again when Orlando gets here. But pick out a few you think I’d like, will you? I’d love to get some framed.”

“Sure thing,” she said, burying the offensive picture in a pile. The phone rang, and she leaned over to answer it. “Mike’s Taxidermy, you snuff ‘em, we stuff ‘em.” I shook my head and went into the kitchen to check on my kettle.

“It’s for you,” Lisa called after a few seconds. I picked up the kitchen extension.

“Hello?”

“Hey you.” It was Orlando. “I’m just getting out of the taxi in front of your building.”

“Great, come on up,” I said. We hung up. “He’s here,” I called to Lisa as I finished making my tea and brought it into the living room.

A few minutes later, Orlando walked into the apartment, carrying a duffle bag, and looking very tired. He was wearing black pants and a white button down dress shirt, his hair back in a ponytail. He looked incredibly sexy. I got up from my seat beside Lisa amidst the pictures and went to him. He didn’t say anything, just wrapped me up in his arms and held me tightly. We hadn’t seen each other since our fight about Sean, and I felt such relief to be in his arms again.

“I’m gonna get the hose,” Lisa called dryly, not looking up from her pictures. “There is someone else in the room, you know.”

I pulled back from Orlando and grinned over at her. “Jealous are we?” I teased as I led Orlando to my room.

“Well duh,” was Lisa’s snide retort as I closed the bedroom door. “I can still hear you from out here, so keep it down!” she called through the door.

I smirked as I locked the door, then turned to Orlando. He was staring at the bed, his duffel bag still in his hand. He had a confused look on his face. I moved around him to see what he was looking at. There, spread out on my bed, were a long blonde wig, a box of condoms, and a big foam sword, with two DVDs, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, and the original Pirates of the Caribbean, sitting above them on the pillows. A note was attached that said, “Take your pick, he can do both.”

“Um, do I dare ask?” Orlando said, turning to me. He looked slightly amused.

“It’s just Lisa’s idea of a joke,” I said, quickly removing the items from the bed. “I’ll be right back.” I went back out into the living room and dumped everything into Lisa’s lap. “You can have this back now.”

“Come on, you ruin all my fun,” she said, pouting her bottom lip out. She handed me back the condoms. “I’m pretty sure you’ll be needing these at least,” she said, her pout changing to a grin.

“Thanks, Mom,” I said, smirking down at her. “Get your mind out of the gutter for once.”

She smiled up at me, that wicked little twinkle in her eye. “But it’s so fun down here,” she said, winking at me.

I shook my head and went back into the bedroom, quickly depositing the condoms in my nightstand while Orlando hung his clothes in my closet. I sat on the bed and watched him unpack.

“Do I even get a kiss?” I asked after a minute or two.

He turned to me and pulled me to my feet, into his arms. “I’m sorry, love,” he whispered, only an inch from my face. I could feel his warm breath on my skin as I inclined my head toward him. He brushed a gentle kiss over my lips, then crushed me against him as he became more demanding. His hands swept up and down my back before molding my hips to his. I clutched his shoulders, sure that I would crumple where I stood if I let go. The tension of the past few weeks, the pain, the sadness, the relief, the joy, it all came out in that kiss, and tears slid down my cheek from under my closed eyelashes.

We were both breathless when we broke apart some time later. I clung to him, not ever wanting to let go. “I love you,” I whispered against his neck as he tightened his hold on me.

“I’m so sorry, Charlie, for everything that’s happened,” he said into my hair. “God, you have no idea how much I’ve wanted to just hold you.”

I smiled up at him. “Likewise,” I said, kissing his lips softly. I pulled out of his arms and sat down on the bed. He sat beside me, taking my hands in his. “So do we know who we’re talking to tomorrow?” I asked as his thumbs gently stroked the back of my hands.

“We decided to give the exclusive to ‘People’ magazine,” he said. “They’re the only ones who didn’t run the horrendous pictures of us, and they’ve been really good about respecting my privacy. Is that okay?”

“Whatever you think is best is fine,” I said, moving to straddle his lap. I kissed him again. “How does this work exactly?”

“It’ll be similar to the interviews you did for Wicked,” he said, his hands straying inside the back of my sweater and grazing my bare skin. Warmth rushed through me. “There’ll be a bunch of pictures, a bunch of questions, it’s no big deal.”

“For you, no,” I said, squirming against him as he reached up to unhook my bra under my sweater. “You’ve done this a million times. I’m still new to the whole process.”

“I’ll be right there, holding your hand the whole time,” he said, kissing my neck. “If you don’t know what to say, let me handle it. And you don’t have to answer anything you’re uncomfortable with.”

I couldn’t say more, as his hands had moved away from my bra and were now caressing the flesh they’d uncovered. I gripped my knees around his hips as he laid back on the bed and pulled me down on top of him. I didn’t get the chance to think about the interview anymore, as sensation took over and I was lost to the world, lost in sensations, lost in passion, lost in Orlando.